The Auror and the Death Eater
by FleetingMomentHP
Summary: Draco Malfoy, former death eater, and Lara Collins, auror, find themselves caught in the crosshairs of the Ministry and a criminal organization. The only way out is to work together against a corrupted system. A rebellion against the Ministry is forming... Is redemption possible? Will justice be restored? Or will paranoia chase them into the shadows? The Ministry is watching.
1. Anomaly

_The following story is a compilation by FleetingMoment and BlackWSSnapeBSwan. FleetingMoment devised much of the plot and Draco Malfoy's character development based on JK Rowling's original character, Draco Malfoy, as well as some editing. BlackWSSnapeBSwan created and developed Lara Collins. Nathan Kelley is an original character by FleetingMoment, shadowed extraordinarily well by BlackWSSnapeBSwan. Dan Barker is an original character by FleetingMoment and developed in the story by FleetingMoment. All other minor original characters are created by either FleetingMoment or BlackWSSnapeBSwan. Obviously we don't own Harry Potter, but we are such fans (clearly) lol. Please enjoy! :)_

* * *

"What do you _mean_ you won't publish it?" a young man in his early twenties shot back at the middle aged man sitting behind a large polished oak desk.

"Who would buy it?" the representative replied, almost chuckling, "Are you being serious or just pulling my leg here, Malfoy?"

"Did you even read them?" Draco questioned, his pale grey eyes flashing defiantly.

"Sure, I read them" Mr. Pellew answered smugly, "For starters, poems aren't very popular these days. Secondly, the author... I mean, Malfoy, come on! I'm sure your talents are better spent in a different industry..."

Draco flushed slightly in embarrassment, but quickly recovered, his pride requiring him to bite back hard, "Fine, then I'll self publish!"

"More power to you," Mr. Pellew laughed, "I'll leave it to you to convince bookstores to buy up your book. Your work is cut out for you."

" _You'll_ be completely cut out!" Draco warned, his voice rising.

"Cut out of the _debt_ , yes. Good luck, Mr. Malfoy. I have other clients waiting," Mr. Pellew replied pleasantly.

Draco stormed out of the office without a word. Once outside of the building, Draco was able to silently drown himself in the grief for his own hurt pride and all of his hard work that had come to nothing just like anything else he had tried to do. There was literally no option left at this point. It wasn't that he couldn't support himself. His father had made sure that he would be taken care of, but it certainly wouldn't last all his life. Eventually the money would run out, and he needed to plan early to continue to afford the lifestyle he had grown accustomed to. He was already occupying a very small flat in order to cut back on costs. And now the months spent toiling away on poems that were like a piece of him went down the drain. He sat down at the edge of the street, flipping open his book of seventy-five poems to a poem at random.

"Tch..." Draco sighed, "So cliche..."

He tossed the book down the storm drain knowing he could never convince local bookshops to carry his book. Not knowing who it had come from. Besides, it probably wasn't even that good. Not good enough to be published regardless of who he was. Each word was meticulously chosen and carried a small piece of emotion that he had felt at some point. A good third was about a woman he had seen following him lately, most likely from the Ministry. However, each time he drew closer to her, she seemed to fade back even further away from him. He didn't even know her name and it drove him mad. He supposed it might be similar to Stockholm syndrome. He knew that she was holding the wand that would take his last breath should he make any wrong move. That was the condition of his release, to be fair. He had agreed to Ministry cooperation. However, he didn't know they would be tailing him and spying on him constantly. The only place he felt safe was his own flat, which was probably very stupid of him. The moment he left, he could bet they were wiring it up with all sorts of magical devices to listen in on his conversations... with what? Himself? He sighed miserably. His life was a complete wreck and he blamed the Ministry bitterly. They had effectively scared off any friends he might have made and cornered him away from the rest of the magical community, who wasn't thrilled about dealing with him in the first place.

Draco stood up and started walking down the street in a pit of anguish. As he walked a few witches and wizards had bumped into him as the crowds grew. He never used to get bumped into when his family was in power. These days, he felt as if it might have even been on purpose. Some sort of statement they were making. After a good distance, he halted to a stop, staring at his feet as people passed around him. In that moment of solitude in the middle of a heavy crowd, he had an epiphany. Regardless of whether they wanted him there or not, he was there. He was standing and they had to take notice of him. The moment didn't last long as someone much bigger than him forcibly pushed him out of the way and into the side of the building he was standing beside. His eyes shot to the stranger in a flash of anger, his fists clenched, but there was nothing he could do. He received an amused smirk in return. Great. Everyone else was aware that he was under the Ministry's thumb and had no recourse. He leaned back against the building helplessly as he watched the crowds pass with witches and wizards gawking at him, the strange man just standing there. Anxiety built and he dashed into the crowd, disappearing within them and with a new purpose. He wanted more than anything to just return home. He would be safe there. Away from prying eyes, taunting smiles, muffled whispers.

* * *

"Surprised to see you here so early," an older man serving in the Leaky Cauldron spoke, handing out dragon steaks to some of the regulars.

"Yeah, well, I'm starting early today," a woman with a gentle face replied, " _Malfoy..._ "

"No explanation necessary. Here," the man replied, ducking behind the bar and swooping up a well-loved plastic container. "Luckily for you we prepare them early."

The woman accepted the container with a budding smile and a 'thank you.' She slipped off her backpack and opened it up as she did every day.

"Y'know I don't know what I'd do without this bag.. it works a charm." The girl couldn't have looked more pleased with herself as she awaited a reaction. "Get it?"

"Just as funny as every other time you tell it," the owner grunted.

"Hmm."

After fastening her grey rucksack with coral buckles, she swung it back over her shoulders. The bag was practical. Being an auror, she was at constant risk of being chased or even drawn into a fight. She had to be prepared to go, and the bag served that purpose. _Capacious extremis,_ the Undetectable Extension Charm; it really was her best friend. She could carry anything she liked and still have room for whatever her work deemed necessary. For example: her lunch. Every day, those at the Leaky Cauldron were ready and waiting for her to collect one of their famous corned beef sandwiches, and then at the end of the day she'd return the empty container to then be washed and refilled. Simple. The charm also meant that whatever she was carrying for Ministry reasons, if in the hands of the wrong people, couldn't be accessed without the correct incantation. The bright eyed young witch headed out the door one galleon poorer, but money wasn't an issue for her, and at least she had her delicious food to keep her going throughout her work.

"See you later, Lara," the owner called after her.

With an earlier start, she would have more of the evening free to do whatever she pleased, but even when she wasn't on duty her mind was. Draco Malfoy... yes, everyone had heard of him. There were many mixed opinions when it came to the outcome of his trial, but in Lara's eyes he had gotten a raw deal. Malfoy was practically disgraced and from what she had heard and observed for a long time. He didn't seem to take to well to it. Lara's long dark hair fluttered behind her, settling by her waist as she made her way down the streets, stopping abruptly to find her bearings. Another tool of the trade was her tracker. Part of the conditions of Malfoy's release required him to wear a tracking device that emitted a magical signal within a reasonable distance. The idea was to alert security when a high risk person (acquitted after the war) entered the vicinity. The aurors used these trackers for their own purposes, and Lara's directive was to keep eyes on Malfoy during her shift while keeping enough distance to stay out of sight. Normally she found her work tedious, but there was something different about Malfoy. Something intrigued her. Of course they had never spoken. She was an observer, and so far he hadn't given the Ministry any reason to physically interfere, only watch at all times.

' _ **Beep, Beep!**_ '

Lara was distracted by what she hoped was a melted white chocolate and not a result of somebody's owl on the bottom of her right boot, when she heard her tracker go off.

"Shit!"

What a great start to the day, rule one was almost broken - getting too close. Malfoy was running her way so she managed to make more distance. Her shift began now. She could tell Malfoy was unsettled when she saw him move through the crowd. On some level she understood. Having grown up with very over protective parents during the reign of Voldemort, Lara used to feel that she couldn't breathe, unable to escape from the pressure of their constant and close observation. It was her job though, and one she was damn proud of. Not that she was ever filled in completely with everything going on, being a relatively new auror (8 months roughly,) but she knew enough to be wary. Lara stood with a firm grip on her wand as she always had, and as they were taught when dealing with dangerous people, especially death eaters and those associated with them. Though there were many other aurors, timetable changes meant not all of them were active at the same time. Still, she knew she wasn't alone, there was someone waiting for him back home, maybe even someone opposite to her, an equal distance from him as she was. She had to regularly remind herself that he was a bad man. The things he had done, his family, and most importantly his involvement with Voldemort was damning evidence against him. Lara would often get caught up in pity. Being too kind for her own good at times was what would get her killed the Ministry often reminded her. So she stood with her head held high, emotions as neutral as she could manage, and watched down on him. Though "down" wasn't an accurate description; more like up at him - due to her height.

Day by day, Lara would do this and report back to the Ministry. Lately they had been demanding more. She and the other aurors would have to set up new cameras, listening devices, and other objects. She wasn't sure why they were doing it, but questioning the Ministry would be the last mistake a witch or wizard would ever make. Besides, she trusted them so there was no reason to question their decisions. Whatever they wanted, there would be a valid reason. Perhaps it was the lack of information, the mystery, that drew her into this 'case' more. Whatever it was, it was almost seductive. Lara loved the rush a chase would give and enjoyed all the training immensely. At times she felt her talents were a waste, keeping watch when she could be out actually catching other bad people or Death Eaters, but she had to be patient and have faith that day would come. It was probably mandatory for aurors to do this job for at least the first year anyway, or so she told herself to make herself feel better. Either way, there was more to the story: the promise of danger with Malfoy, _that's_ what interested her.

* * *

As Draco ran, he could have sworn he had heard a strange beeping noise just up ahead. He had heard the sound before, but had never determined its source. This time would be different. He ran faster, weaving through disgruntled people crowding the streets until he saw that familiar head of long dark hair. It was her. He knew it was her. And she was running in the same direction he was, which felt a bit like deja vu. He darted into one of the dark alleys and watched her silently from his brief sanctuary. He had wondered to himself whether she was cowardly or whether she knew that she was driving him crazy by staying just out of range. His brows furrowed as he wondered how to coax her to draw closer to him. She was with the Ministry. That much he felt confident of. She was required to watch him for a wrong move... since then, he had never made a wrong move. He had never raised his wand to anyone. That would change. His shaky hand reached into his front jacket pocket for his wand. Slowly he brandished it, holding it out in the open. Already, the crowds out on the main street that were in view of him were looking nervous and starting to shift away from him. He had never given anyone any reason to fear him since the trials, not after all the shoving and looks and obscenities that had been thrown at him. He had always kept his cool. His pale grey eyes sought out the woman from the Ministry, finally locking his eyes on hers. Draco smirked slightly before disappearing further into the alley.

Something seemed different. _He_ seemed different. Lara watched him watch her, and her eyes never left his as he took his wand out of his pocket. As uneasy as the crowd had been (those who noticed,) they were even more so when Lara, a known auror also raised her wand; a potential duel. What suddenly changed inside him that made him draw out his weapon? She and many others had watched him for months, ever since the trials, and not once did he attempt anything. Surely now he wasn't stupid enough to do so. She was calm, on the outside that was. Though there were little nerves, which made her excellent for the job; she was brave and relentless, her brain was clouded by the rushing feeling she was getting, sealed by his smirk. Lara couldn't help smile to herself. _Finally_ something. This was not to be taken lightly. Draco was dangerous and armed with more than just his foul mouth now. She had to make sure everyone was safe; she had to follow him. Maybe even catch him. Malfoy slipped away to somewhere she couldn't keep sight of, and with him showing signs of being a danger, she had to get closer and not just watch from a distance. It was time for what she had wanted from the start: some action.

Thinking quickly, Draco removed his jacket, tossing it to the side by some boxes before he stood behind the boxes and raised his wand and whispering _"Cave inimical"_. So long as she didn't walk directly into him, he would be completely hidden from her. If everything went according to plan, she would see the jacket and inspect it while he could get a good look at her. He wasn't sure if he was brave enough to approach her or try to talk to her, however. But coaxing her closer to him was a good first step. He was convinced he could continue to manipulate her until he might be able to disarm her someday and force her to at least admit that she was spying on him. _Though... that sounded... anticlimactic. And rather stupid. Right. Wait and watch... plan later._

Draco took a deep breath and focused on relaxing so that his heartbeat could slow and his breath wouldn't be quite so audible. Once he was set, he watched the entrance to the alleyway desperately hoping that she would soon approach. Lara was foolish enough to turn her tracker off once it beeped. She was aware that if it beeped again it would signal to the Ministry that she was failing at part of the task and she couldn't risk that. Now however, she had to track him. Thankfully they were trained in that without having to rely on magic.

"Everything's okay, continue on." She smiled sweetly to those watching and worrying. At first she was a little skeptical, but the more she acted and didn't think, the braver she was. Heading into the dark alley, she didn't know what to expect, but her wand was ready to _'Protego'_ anything coming her way. She was unsurprised that he might have finally snapped.


	2. Evidence

All she saw was his jacket... no sign of Draco Malfoy. Lara faced the boxes and looked all around her, half expecting him to be behind her somehow. After a few moments standing in silence, she poked his coat with the tip of her wand. She wasn't sure how the device she was tracking worked exactly. Could it have been planted in his jacket? It seemed unlikely. A thought occurred to her that maybe Draco had suspected his tracker was in his jacket and removed it in order to escape. She relaxed at the knowledge of another Auror near by.

' **Beep, beep** '

He was still close enough to cause her tracker to go off... Surely it was left for a reason. She wasn't stupid. Feeling safe enough to get closer, she picked up the jacket. Examining it wasn't telling her anything else she hadn't known about him. Draco watched the woman curiously, listening to her tracker beeping. Without thinking, his fingertips ran across a small square shaped scar on the side of his neck. It was a souvenir from shortly after his trial. A reminder that he would always have a pair of eyes on him.

"At least he had decent fashion sense," Lara muttered to herself.

She looked as if she was trying to work out why Draco had left his jacket, just as he had planned. Standing silently, he listened to her voice, taking the tone and inflection of her words in and committing it to memory. Aware the Ministry would want further tests on his coat Lara nearly took it, but quickly changed her mind. She placed the jacket on the boxes in case he returned. Her faint blue eyes took themselves away from the boxes and she leaned her back against the wall, slowly tapping her head back into the bricks, enough to feel it, but not enough for it to hurt. He took a shaky breath and analyzed the auror. He noted the soft blue tint in her irises. It was about time he learned a little bit more about his pursuer.

With a small grunt, Lara picked herself away from the wall and began to follow down the alleyway. If Draco had run that way there was little hope of her finding him now - he would have wanted that, a distraction for her to stop and give him a head start. Lara began to doubt she was cut out for being an auror. It was the first time she had a chance to prove herself, and she felt she had already messed up. Carefully taking the jacket and slipping it back on, he silently left the way he had come, the soft padding of his footsteps the only sound to be made, surely too soft now that she was a good distance away. Draco slipped back into the crowd, doing his best to blend back in with them. He very much doubted that trick would work again, and now the Ministry would know he was testing them for whatever reason. He needed to come up with some sort of plan quickly before the Ministry caught on and became less susceptible to tricks and baiting. What could he realistically do to make them back off? He truly didn't know.

Lara needed to go about this logically before the Ministry was on to him _and_ her. It was of no doubt to her that at least one of the witches or wizards from before who watched on as he displayed his wand would report it to the Ministry. He was a watched man and many knew it. Lara had to find him, and then go back and see what sort of mess she was in. _Home._ Draco didn't really have any other place left to go, so running anywhere but his apartment was out of the question. If only she had thought of it sooner, assuming she was right, it would have saved her ass from the Ministry. There was bound to be an auror at his house, one who would know he wasn't followed, and then she'd get in big trouble especially with growing concerns with him at the Ministry. Lara knew the route well and it wasn't long before she caught up to him. Apparation was one of her favorite things about being a highly trained witch.

Draco shoved his hands into his jacket pockets and finally approached his small flat located in a mid range apartment complex filled with witches and wizards of varying economic means. As he passed one of the light posts, his heart raced. It was an area that was often "tampered" with. Did he dare to look that day? Barely turning his head, his eyes shifted to the light pole. As far as he could tell, there was nothing wrong with it. He continued to stride steadily to his apartment as if nothing was wrong until he reached the door. He fumbled with his keys and dropped them. He bent down to pick them up and struggled to unlock the door. The key seemed to be caught at a weird angle. He didn't trust an average lock that could be unlocked magically. That would be too easy for the Ministry... The moment the lock clicked, he opened and slammed the door behind him before sliding against the back of the door to the floor, his heart pounding madly. _Another panic attack._ When he finally relaxed enough to stop shaking he stood back up and checked that the door was locked before he sat down at his desk with scattered parchment all over it. He began to write his observations of the Ministry woman that had been following him for months. Eventually he would connect the pieces. He just needed more time...

This time Lara hid out of sight, this time she was going to watch without him knowing. Just when she'd dared get closer and confront him about earlier, a hand on her shoulder pulled her back.

"Why so secretive?" a judging woman appointed, "Y'know he has to _know_ he's being watched or it won't be effective."

"Is that why you were hiding behind me?" Lara retaliated, stepping further back.

The tall auror gave a satisfied smile, "Darling, the Ministry wants a word. It's important, I'm sure. You had better head there right away."

Lara sensed the words before they were thrown her way with such pleasure. Many were of the opinion she wasn't mentally strong enough for her job and disapproved her station. Unable to ignore it she had to go to the Ministry and see what the problem was. She had a feeling it was something to do with her encounter with Malfoy.

* * *

"A few wizards reported Mr. Malfoy armed and ready to fight. They were frightened and informed us of the incident right away, as you should have. Miss Collins, I'm sure I don't have to remind you of the protocol. Malfoy is dangerous. When he makes advanc-" He was cut off.

"With all due respect to those wizards, it was a false call," Lara shot back, "He didn't produce a wand. If he had, I would have also reported back to you, Minister. Easy mistake, but I handled it."

Kingsley nodded. "Very well, back to your post."

After observing the fact that Malfoy couldn't even open his own apartment door without trouble, Lara wasn't sure he was harmful at all. He didn't try anything, so she didn't rat him out, but he did seem to have some sort of plan and she was determined to find out what.

Kingsley looked to some of the others as one of them spoke up, "Sir, she lied. I was there and I too saw it."

It didn't come as a shock to Kingsley that she didn't tell the truth. "Have her followed, I don't trust she's taking this as seriously as she should. Lara needs to be put back on track. We are manipulating Malfoy, but he is certainly doing the same to her. We can't have one of our own under his influence."

* * *

Lara's usual spot when on watch at Malfoy's residence was comfortable. She perched on a wall facing the complex and crossed her legs. She would have time to get into a running position if need be, and she had her wand on her lap for any situation that required her to act. The more she was told about the Malfoy case, the more her gut was telling her something just wasn't right. That was the very thing holding her back. _He knows he's always on watch, as a precaution he is probably deliberately seeming weak. He's planning something awful._ As she forced those words into her mind, she thought about those who had died, feeling incredibly guilty for not taking his jacket and lying to the Ministry, knowing that the man was getting away with so much devastation, she began to question why she was feeling any pity at all - surely he had been tricking her the whole time.

A man in his late thirties of average height holding a sopping wet book placed in a clear plastic sealed bag approached his partner with a small smile. He was one of the more unconventional aurors in the Ministry with a lot of experience under his belt without much success in promotions. He didn't play the office politics, but he was good at his job. He also had a lot of insight into how the Ministry worked. They had partnered him with the new girl - and even after eight months, she was still just that: New.

"Yo, new girl," Dan Barker called with a huge grin, clearly not caring whether anyone saw them.

"I have a name, you should maybe try using it sometime " Lara responded returning the smile.

Draco glanced out of the window, hearing a loud man's voice from across the street, but higher... His eyes lifted toward the top of the wall where the woman he had escaped sat and waited for him.

"I recovered something interesting," Dan said, tossing the book to Lara, "Rather than turn it in, I thought I'd give you a chance to see what to make of it first. Then if you think it is junk you can throw it away or maybe return it to its rightful owner."

Draco's eyes flashed to the man approaching the auror. He was walking along the top of that wall holding something in his hand. _Damnit!_ He just _had_ to throw the stupid book down the storm drain. He should have burnt it. He would be damned if the Ministry was going to pour over his personal work. Sure, he was going to publish it, but to think that they had something of his to keep to themselves made his blood boil. It wasn't like he could just walk up to them and demand it back. It was "evidence" now, he was sure.

Though Dan acted like a fool, there was usually an ulterior motive for the things he said and did. He had obviously already taken a look at the book. More importantly, he knew that it had the potential to be damaging to his partner. Clearly half of the book was written about her from the perspective of Draco Malfoy. The Ministry could react either by taking her off the case, which Dan would think a shame, or worse, they could use it against him. Despite being a professional and on the side of the Ministry, Dan knew the kind streak in his partner and her possible reluctance to carrying out that sort of task.

"I heard about the altercation earlier. You weren't doing Malfoy any favors by lying about it. We can't bring him in for simply raising his wand, despite what they might lead you to believe. He's still owed some form of due process. He's allowed a wand, why shouldn't he use it?" Dan mentioned, "So next time, tell the truth so that at least the Ministry can trust you. And no, it wasn't me. I didn't rat you out."

Soon her smile faltered. He was right, she shouldn't have lied. The Ministry was misleading though, and she knew somehow they could have twisted the wand incident into something more which is why she didn't tell the truth.

"Hmm, well thank you... You're too kind to me," Lara was clearly not sincere but a smile drew away any overly sarcastic hint. She looked at the book in her hands. "So, what is this? Where did you find it?"

"Poems. I saw him toss it down the drain during my part of the watch. I was the only one to notice," he explained with a little laughter in his voice, "Oh also, following him down the alleyway... I know he gave you very little option, but Lara, you ought to be more careful. Call me in if you need to. I only saw the tail end of it. He could have killed you if he wanted to." Dan rolled his eyes and mockingly continued what every auror was told by the higher ups, "Remember that _**it's not a matter of if, but when.**_ " Clearly Dan didn't believe it, but he was forced to instill the attitude in his young partner.

As Dan spoke, Lara scanned through a few pages. Poems? Draco wrote poetry? There was more to him than they all expected. They weren't dark or threatening, but what did stand out, was that some were about her. She tore herself away from the words. They only made her feel guilty for invading his privacy more than they already had. She focused on the rest of what Dan was saying. Lara then stood up and faced him.

"Dan, and yes, I'm capable of a first name basis, we both know that in this case it's not true," Lara replied.

The pages only confirmed that and she wasn't stupid enough to think he hadn't analyzed it too . There was something about the poems... How he didn't attack in the alleyway.. She didn't think he was going to harm her.

"You probably don't want to hear it, but I think we're very much alike," Lara said.

"Yeah..." Dan sighed, "You're right."

He was smart enough to know that she wasn't letting the Ministry near the book - and she was very grateful for him giving it to her first, it was why she didn't mind being his partner.

Draco paced inside his apartment until a plan was properly formed. He would catch her by surprise this time and disarm her. Then what? Demand the book back, for starters. His gaze fell to his feet. There wasn't anything more he was entitled to. Then demanding the book back would have to do. He was too tired to think of anything more complicated than that. He slipped out of his apartment and locked the door behind him, holding his breath. He didn't want to risk another panic attack that the stupid door seemed to bring on. The problem was that he was always at the height of anxiety when he had to leave the his flat, and just as anxious by the time he returned. The door was just there but now it triggered the same feelings he usually felt around it. The mind was truly a strange and mysterious thing.

Draco was on the move.

"You've done your job, warned me, now you can go back to doing big kid stuff." Lara taunted playfully, "Let me do this. Redeem myself, if I have to."

Dan smirked at his young protege. He liked that she had a brain of her own and was willing to be independent and make her own decisions about the investigation. He had said enough for her to get the message and didn't need to pound the importance of safety into her head, so he agreed to let her go off on her own. He wasn't planning to spy on her; there was enough of that in the Ministry. Maybe it was about time Lara had done things by the book, if given the opportunity again, perhaps she would tell the truth to the Ministry. Lara put one hand on the ledge of the wall, crouched then jumped off. She was fit, she just never got the chance to put it to good use. Once she took off after Draco, Dan stepped off of the wall and went in an opposite direction.

Draco needed somewhere quiet where Ministry officials weren't often prowling. His eyes flashed to a nearby graveyard. He doubted they would be allowed to loiter there, but he didn't want his first possible meeting to be somewhere so solemn. He continued walking, spotting a cafe. It was public and easier, but anyone could be listening in. He was starting to run out of options until he saw the old bookshop. It was closed by this hour, but that actually might not have been such a bad thing. No one else would be around and the aurors wouldn't think to look in a closed bookshop. He used an unlocking charm and left the door open, slipping inside. Another plus was the amount of clutter and shelves to hide behind. He could easily hide just out of sight and there was only one entrance. It was perfect... Draco slipped further into the bookshop, tucking into a small space between the shelves as he waited for her silently.

Lara hadn't been too sensible with the timing, so Malfoy was far ahead before she went onto follow him. Lara wasn't confident that Dan wouldn't follow, but she hoped her message was clear, she didn't need to be babysat. Draco wasn't going his usual routes. The aurors had accounted for that and had different posts. Lara was appointed the moving post to follow him. The others were stationed at his apartment and other known places he went to daily, so it was up to her to keep track of his movement. Following where she saw someone turn the corner, Lara kept walking, now deciding to have her wand by her side and putting Draco's book in her bag. She was on high alert. Not knowing where he was going was not only exciting, but very daunting. She thought she'd lost his track for good, until she spotted the only lead available: an open door. Based on how he was playing his games today, leading her into the alley, leaving his jacket out, she was more than confident that an open door to a closed bookshop was his doing. _Remember that it's not a matter of if, but when._ Assuming it was a possibility she wasn't too eager to go in, if he was standing there, she would have broken a rule. Lara then thought to herself, what harm would be done if she did get close? She'd already been under questioning by the Ministry, she didn't have much to lose; but her life.

"You wrote about me. Why?" Lara asked, hearing her own voice echo softly in the nearly empty shop.

Deciding she had to take this chance Lara stepped forward and through the door. He was bound to be close by, probably watching her as she had watched him. She felt his presence; she knew he was hiding.

"I know you're here," Lara called again.

Her voice was filled with confidence, even if there was some doubt as to whether what she was sensing was him. In the back of her mind she questioned whether it was an owl in the back room, but there was something telling her she wasn't alone. What Draco didn't expect was for her to address him first. No auror had ever spoken to him since the end of the trials. They just watched him gleefully from a distance. Somehow just hearing her speak to him added some reality to his situation. That said, her words weren't comforting. She had read his book. Of course she had. It was their duty to snoop into his personal life after all.

"You aren't flattered?" his voice called darkly in reply, the sarcasm laced in thickly.


	3. Allure

Draco hesitated a few moments before revealing himself. His voice would have given his location away anyway, but he couldn't have helped talking to her when she had tempted him to do so. He couldn't really put his finger on what he felt for her. It was a strange sort of attachment that he couldn't properly explain. Lara didn't know what to expect, a hex from a hideout or even silence, but certainly not him speaking and walking out to greet her. 'Flattered' was not the word she would have used. It felt more like stalking to her, which was ironic considering her job involving him. Her head snapped to the front left where he emerged. Lara didn't quite know what was going on, but it made her feel unintelligent and that bothered her.

"Are you asking why I wrote about you because you really want to know why?" Draco asked her vaguely, "It seems self explanatory to me..."

The point that he was trying to get across was that the reason he had written about her was something very raw and possibly obvious. He couldn't say "love" because he couldn't love someone he had never met, but it was a similar sort of situation. If someone were to ask "why do you love me?", if a person were to answer honestly, how on earth would they explain that? Like you can force yourself to love someone or not love someone? Like there is a particular reason? There was no reason he wrote about her, no reason other than simple interest. She was mysterious and haunting and ever present. How could he not write about her?

"I wrote about you because I don't want you to disappear someday without having written about you. I wouldn't want to lose the feeling of someone breathing down my neck everyday as I struggle to understand why instead of wanting freedom, I want to be chained ever closer," he continued, his intense grey eyes piercing into hers relentlessly.

His words surprised even himself. How many days had he cursed the Ministry and the aurors that invaded his privacy? And yet, this one, drifting in and out of his line of sight, always just out of reach, captured his attention in a way he didn't understand.

Lara pursed her lips, not sure how to respond. If she were in his position, she probably would have written too, or drawn pictures, anything to try and understand... But many poems? Couldn't he have just approached her if he was _that_ desperate to know? Though it was such a simple suggestion, she then realized the whole point of her job was to watch and not get close, to apparate and disappear if he approached her. Lara felt as if she was losing control of the situation. The one in control was all Malfoy.

"I'm here now. Satisfied?" Lara replied.

Draco gave a small smile. He was satisfied, somewhat. He had finally gotten her within earshot after all these months. It was a victory, despite how small it seemed. Lara tried to look like she was keeping it together, her eyes locking on his, but she was really so confused and still wary of him. Her job was the number one priority though, and she felt she owed it to herself to find out what what kind of guy he really was. Was he indeed as dangerous as everyone at the Ministry thought he was? To waste no time, she began to try to push his buttons.

"Not taking it very well then? The disgrace? Oh how the Malfoy's had such power..." Lara began to walk around the room, keeping a sense of her wand, but acting relaxed as she scanned a few book covers. "Pity that is. Must be embarrassing."

She wasn't sure how far to go, but if she was going to make sure she did a damn good job at it. Draco watched her curiously as she began to analyze his situation. She was speaking the truth of course, but his situation seemed less serious for it to be spoken out loud. Perhaps that had been the Ministry's goal all along. It felt more horrible, more lonely to not even put limits on the hit his family name had taken by defining it with words. Even to Lara, the situation was surreal. Normally she was trying to keep her distance, and now, she was walking his way, slowly and deliberately closing the distance between them. Draco steeled his courage. The truth was that despite how mysteriously attached to her he was, he was also fearful of her.

"I saw how those people... 'mudbloods'... pushed past you on the street. How does it feel, hmm?" Lara pressed, her attention fully on him now, not the books, "To be stripped to nothing. To be a nobody. To have destroyed so many lives, and yet... to not be feared anymore."

She stopped there. Though her words were spoken with confidence, her eyes betrayed her doubt. The faint blue in her eyes flickered with what could only be described as fear. Her brave exterior did nothing to quell her uneasiness. After all, she had heard of all terrible things Malfoy had done, and she was taking a huge risk testing him as she did. But it was the right call to get a real sense of who he was and why he had brought her here. Right?

"I don't know..." Draco replied, smirking "I must be fearful for the Ministry to be watching my every move and for crowds of people to cower because I raise my wand. I'd like to know what reason I gave everyone to fear me. I was acquitted of all charges against me. I'm not the one in the wrong here..."

Lara noted his intelligence. He has giving her very accurate points of argument. The Ministry _was_ fearful of him, but she really failed to understand why. As far as she understood from his records, he was never directly involved in killing anyone. He and his family had been caught up in something they couldn't escape even if they had wanted to. In a way it seemed as if they wanted it, but it could also be argued that if they had ever refused to participate, Voldemort would have murdered the entire family.

As Lara analyzed him, Draco reached into his jacket where his wand was kept, his eyes on the auror as he did so. He was also testing her. Would she assume he was about to attack her? Would there be a flash of fear in her eyes? He half wanted to prove her wrong and show her that he was no threat to her. Lara thought that he was so smug, so confident in himself... He was giving her a run for her money. The control she had tried so hard to gain wasn't enough. Draco had the upper hand and was now testing her. It was clear she couldn't break now. Lara's eyes left his and she held her breath as he reached for his wand. He pulled out his wand upside down and handed it out for her to take it by the handle if she wanted. Lara matched his eyes again and smiled. Draco wasn't regaining her trust that easily.

"It's a little smaller than I expected," she mentioned.

Draco flushed lightly, the first sign that she had indeed flustered him, even if it was just a little bit.

"I'm not the one who has been killing people before asking questions," Draco pressed on, ignoring her comment.

"We do what's necessary to make our people safe. But we're not relentless murderers," Lara answered.

It was the truth as far as she was aware, but she couldn't let him know how in the dark she was concerning was actually going on in the Ministry. Draco took a very small step back from her, his eyes still analyzing her curiously. He seemed less sure of himself. Good.

"Former death eaters have been dropping like flies, but interestingly no trials... nothing in the papers," he continued, his voice rising, "Could it be that the Ministry is trying to pretend that the war is over and that they have cleaned everything up? To have a prominent former death eater still visible in the magical community... that must be upsetting to a lot of people. It must not seem very fair. Maybe that is why I am being forced out, why the Ministry is looking for any excuse at all to lock me away for good, or better yet, to kill me in action. No trial... no mess... What do you say to that?"

"I say, watch. Your. Mouth," Lara spoke slowly, gripping her wand but leaving his hanging in his hand. It was clearly a sore spot. "Maybe people are upset because they don't want someone like you flumping around their town, like an unwanted sewer rat."

Lara was quick tempered and didn't like what he was insinuating. His eyebrow twitched slightly at her words that had a bit of bite to them. The world did not allow weakness to survive long. Draco's pride was bruised, but he had to stand strong. Shrugging his shoulders, he holstered his wand back in his front jacket pocket.

"You need to accept the fact we're here, I'm here, in your life, watching you," Lara continued, "You're not getting rid of us unless you kill us." She was in two minds about calling Dan. Accusing the Ministry was a serious offense. "You've met me, so you can stop writing about me. What do you say to that?"

There were all kinds of emotions going on inside of Lara. She felt badly for putting him down like that. He didn't fight back, he stepped back, and that shocked her. Until he regained himself. As much as Draco wanted to keep his distance from her, he did the opposite and took a confident step towards her, defending his pride to the best of his ability. His pride was the thing that kept him together. It was the only thing he had left in the world, as hurt and deformed as it was.

"Then _you_ will need to accept that I will be watching you watch me," he breathed dangerously, "but I won't write about you... no... I'm afraid now that I've spoken to you, you've quite lost your allure. You're just like every other auror. Arrogant... blind... worthless."

 _There. React_ , he thought. He wanted some sign that she was something other than a Ministry dog at their beck and call. What would she do when he turned her own tactics against her? Would she break or would she show her hand? Draco was closer than ever... Lara could even smell his cologne. It felt like a nightmare. As he spoke she felt like she had been hit in the chest with a blunt knife. She had lost her allure, but so had he.

"Likewise." Lara replied somberly, falling into silence for a few moments before that fire within her began to blaze once more, "Y'know no other auror would have left your jacket," She took her bag off her back and swung it onto the table, rummaging in, "would have come in here after you, especially without using magic, nor would they have kept your stupid book!"

She threw the book at him. Lara wasn't crying or necessarily trying to show she was hurt or weak. This was her way of finishing their disagreement: backing off. She knew this was just the two of them messing with one another but it was getting to the point she wanted to call Dan. There was still part of her fighting for the belief there was something else there inside of Malfoy, something good. There was one thing she wasn't, and that was your textbook Auror.

"You don't know me." Lara put on her rucksack again and regained herself once more. "You think this is arrogant? You haven't seen anything, darling."

She began to head for the door, unsure or whether to get herself transferred from his case or not. It was one thing to be intrigued with one another, but a bad relationship was worse. It would get in the way of her task. She stopped by the exit, but didn't turn around.

"Why did you want me here?" Lara asked.

That was the question most important to her. Not why he had written about her, but why he wanted to be close to her. Though the questions were similar, she still wanted to know. She wanted to make her decision on what she wanted to do and who he was. Perhaps Draco had gone too far when he had pushed her, but considering the position she had put him in, the world certainly couldn't blame him. He did blame himself, however, because he held himself to a higher standard. He had never fought back. He had taken all of the hits again and again, but the person he chose to finally fight back at was one who intrigued him. Maybe he _was_ disappointed after finally meeting her. But what could he have expected? She didn't know him and he didn't know her. It was like waking from a dream, realizing that none of it had been real.

"You're right," he said quietly, "I don't know you. I thought you were different from the rest of them," He said, smirking slightly to himself, "My own imagination running wild perhaps. I wanted to meet a human behind the policy. I wanted to know that someone in the Ministry gave a shit about me. I wanted to be proven wrong that they aren't just waiting to lock me up or watch me die."

The truth was that Lara _was_ different than the rest of them, and if he had been watching her as long as she did him, then it hurt her that he had never seen that. She didn't bother opening the door, instead she turned around. Lara listened. It seemed like maybe that's exactly what he needed. Someone to listen, especially someone in the Ministry. Draco took a deep breath, trying to keep any feeling or emotion hidden deep inside himself. He fumbled to collect his thoughts and produce the words to express his purpose more clearly to her.

"I wanted you here to better understand you and perhaps change your mind about me. I don't understand why you are so afraid of me that you are unwilling to come closer. I don't think I've given you any reason to fear me. Not personally," he charged without a hint of doubt in his expression, "I know that you left my jacket and I appreciated the gesture. Likewise, I could have easily disarmed you or attacked your from where I stood, but I didn't. I wrote about you because I thought you were interesting and someone I wanted to understand but was unable to approach before you apparate away."

Draco's expression grew darker and more serious.

"I don't know why I feel this way," he continued, his voice faltering just slightly, "but if I were to eventually meet my end, I would want it to be by your wand. I want it badly enough to possibly shorten my own life and push you to do it."

To make words make sense... he felt like these days, the only thing he saw was an illusion and the only words he spoke were riddles. Nothing honest, nothing straight forward. The only honesty was admitting he had no idea what was going on and that the Ministry had screwed him up so badly that he no longer knew what was real and what was imaginary. The paranoia and distrust ran so deeply that he would rather end it abruptly than play out whatever sick game they were forcing on him.

There was more to him, just as Lara suspected. She decided to show him that he was making a difference, even if she didn't tell him. She placed her wand in her robe and analyzed him carefully. He didn't seem like he was lying... Why would he? He wasn't gaining anything.

"You don't scare me," she said, looking down and then back into his gaze, "I keep my distance because that's what I'm told to. Clearly, I'm not great at my job."

Lara wasn't doing what she was told. She was going against the Ministry in so many ways, more than just being in his immediate presence and engaging in conversation.

"Thank you for not disarming me. And I'm sorry... for disappointing you," she said quietly.

She felt badly. Clearly he took an interest in her, he wrote about her, and she would never have admitted it but she was in fact flattered. The mood was getting deeper. She could sense he was opening up but wasn't completely comfortable with it.

"If I'd known you were paying attention to me I would have put more effort in everyday," Lara said.

This time there was no manipulation intended, it was more an empty flirt to lighten the atmosphere. It would have been insensitive of her to be mean again now, and she wasn't wanting to make it into a big deal and make him feel weaker, he valued his pride and she was going to let him keep it. To that, Draco smirked slightly, happy for a little bit of escape from the heavy air. So she had a little bit of a sense of humor. He noted it dutifully. Lara could tell he wasn't in his right mind right now.

"You might think it, but know I'm not here to lock you up or kill you. I'm just around to watch you. That's my only job..no harm intended, just keeping tabs," Lara explained.

Lara was so naive to the Ministry, but anything to comfort him. It seemed to her that all he needed was just one person to believe in him. Maybe it was small, but it could go a long way. Laura's hunch was dead on. The auror's words were toxic. Not in a bad way, but in a way that penetrated through to Draco and threatened to crack the perfect little glass box he had been stuffed into by every auror before her. He was clinging onto every word like a person clawing to take breath. His grey eyes that had become so distant as he spoke about his own situation sharpened with intensity. He had been starving for interaction, and now he was receiving his fill. It felt almost dangerous, but he savored it nonetheless.

"Perhaps..." he suggested, hesitating, "You might tell the Ministry that keeping your distance is not conductive to an investigation of simply watching and keeping tabs. Particularly those who had been involved with Voldemort. We were constantly looking over our shoulders knowing that death would come swiftly from where we did not expect it for the slightest error on our part. To be going through the same motions with former death eaters is a recipe for disaster. We are being pushed to fight back, even though we know that if we do, it's suicide."

"I would tell them that," Lara replied, "but then it would reveal that I'm talking to you. And well, we both know that wouldn't be good. For either of us actually."

Draco crossed his arms, leaning back against the bookshelf, finally starting to relax just a little bit. The tension was lifting and he could feel his muscles quake softly. The more relaxed he was, the more relaxed she got in return. It was contagious. It was probably why they had gotten heated so quickly at the start of their conversation. There was a brief silence between them as Draco digested her words, but at length he addressed something she had said earlier.

"You _did_ disappoint me at first, but you've more than made up for it now. I never imagined I would be having a conversation like this with an auror. I don't even know your name. What is your name?" he asked.

His eyes shot to hers in a flash of playful antagonism. She was entertaining his mind that had been barely interacted with by witches and wizards outside of the Ministry and completely ignored by aurors. To have one simply listening to him and entertaining what he had to say was remarkable to him. He could hardly contain his delight and certainly didn't contain his desire for more. Lara gave a smile, resisting the temptation to reply 'If I told you I'd have to kill you.' After the subject they were just discussing, it was hardly appropriate, even for someone like she who wouldn't pass an opportunity to try make a joke no matter how awful it was. Identity was something aurors had to be careful with, but that day 'careful' was something far out of reach.

"Lara Collins. Not quite as interesting or badass as Draco Malfoy, but I'll take it."

She knew this was wrong, interacting with him like this let alone at all. She couldn't help herself, and now more than ever she was beginning to doubt the tactics of the Ministry. Being a new Auror, she didn't have the podium to make any changes or really voice her opinion. He was alone, that she knew, but at the same time talking to him couldn't be something she did often if ever again. It was forbidden. The thought of him feeling how he did without any hope wasn't the way she thought anyone should live, and she wasn't going to starve his mind of everything it ever wondered. She was happy to give whatever answers she could and actually talk. She wouldn't be able to express to anyone how good it felt. Though she wasn't the victim in this, she too felt an allure and want to engage with him but she had never been allowed to, it was freeing and exciting.


	4. Mind Games

It made sense that she was reluctant to take on the whole Ministry on his behalf. He should have expected as much, and couldn't blame her in the least. When she gave him her name, he spoke it out loud softly in an effort to be sure to remember it. Slowly but surely, she was growing on him. He seemed to be aware that this was going to be short lived, that talking to her like this was something she wouldn't be able to get away with often if she wanted to stay on his case, let alone keep her job.

"Do you come here often? The library." She was aware he wrote poems, maybe be liked reading too. She wasn't with him every second of the day, and communication wasn't best at the Ministry, that, and she wanted to actually learn something about Draco, not just spy it. "This is actually my first time in this place, I can see the appeal." Her eyes stayed focused on him, friendly this time, not full of spite or fear, or even pity, she was treating him as everyone else should be treated, like a human being. When she decided to become an Auror, this wasn't what she ever had in mind, so she wasn't going to just suddenly be okay with it and abide by every single rule, she still had humanity in her and that wasn't something that could be taken away so easily. Everyone deserves a second chance, that was being proven to her right now.

"I do come here often," he answered pleasantly, almost as if he was a normal person, "I love to read and I read a wide variety of books, even muggle books. I should say especially muggle books because there are simply many more muggle writers. Not just due to them having a larger population, but without magic, you can tell by the way they write that they are completely entranced by their own imaginations. I think we take that for granted. I still don't feel comfortable around muggles or even muggle borns to be perfectly honest, but secretly, I enjoy their works the most."

It was fascinating listening to him talk. He was a completely different person than whom she had imagined and watched. "Well I guess now would be the wrong time to tell you I myself, am Muggleborn." Lara laughed nervously, though didn't care about being judged, and it was good for him to trust and share things with her even if it is just for the brief time they had to talk because she too needed that and she too, sometimes felt alone.

"No, I'm glad you told me," Draco laughed, "As long as you are firmly on our side, I'm not uncomfortable about it. I think it's knowing they are still in the muggle mindset that frightens me off a little bit. Growing up, muggles were always the ones causing trouble for witches and wizards. They were like a bad omen. Even to pick on them... it seemed a little taboo to get too close. And it only got worse with Voldemort. As he started going after muggle borns it took a lot for me to get over being in the same vicinity as them. I've been very fearful of being around them both for what they might think of me and for the things I witnessed Voldemort doing to them. Fear by association, you know."

Draco had nothing to worry about. She wished she was a pureblood, magic was seductive to her, she loved everything about it, but she felt if she had explained that as her true passion it would seem silly. Hearing him mention how unsettled he was by the things Voldemort did to her kind, it was more than a reassurance he wasn't like the other Death Eaters of the time.

Draco sat down in one of the vacant seats next to the shelf he had been leaning against. "More than reading, I _love_ writing," he said with a tender and serious emphasis on the word 'love', "I live and breathe fishing through the English language for the perfectly chosen word to fit with the rest. I like how the pause between words from the placement of a single comma or a line break builds up the anticipation for the rest of the sentence or poem. People may say that a picture is a thousand words. True, I will give them that, but you cannot draw an idea. There is no color for fear, no lines to represent hope, no paint that can perfectly texture the lurching one feels in their heart as something beautiful and precious to them is snatched out of reach. No painting can _truly_ express the bittersweet moment you realize that you are about to kiss someone the last time before life changes and drifts you apart."

Draco looked lost in his own words, reliving all of the painful and beautiful memories that continued to haunt him vividly, memories he refused to forget. He spoke with such passion, it was wonderful. His eyes lit up and his body language, just everything began glowing around him, it was beautiful. It what that in which separated him greatly to the others, he was in love with something, a hobby, a life the books and writing gave him, she couldn't help but smile. He spoke about art, he knew a lot and he respected it too, but his true passion clear. Lara's fingers brushed against her lips when he mentioned a kiss, then she brought her hands down to pull out a chair, biting her lip as she sat down, still in awe with the pure admiration that what he was telling her entailed.

"I believe writing can capture a person's essence and bottle it up perfectly packaged for another person, so long as they know the language adequately, to unwrap and enjoy to the fullest. You can see whatever you want to see in visual art. In writing we see the same meaning and feel the same pain and joy the author felt. In a world that could care less whether I live or die, save a few people such as yourself (I'll take you at your word on that), to be able to have something permanent out there that proved that I was alive, that the thoughts I had existed and are available... it's something truly remarkable."

Draco's head was starting to swim for whatever reason. Maybe too much of a good thing. He swiftly turned the conversation to her, his intense gaze softening out of fatigue rather than interest.

"And you? Is there something important to you that lifts your soul and engages your mind? Or do other things interest you?" he asked, truly curious about her and not trying to define her or challenge her to match his intensity which had already worn off.

Her turn. "Only fair. Afraid I don't have any interests as deep as _that_ , though I now do envy it - but yes I enjoy animals actually." She spoke as she thought about how she would regularly go to the pet emporium and help out "Creatures too, anything that has to rely on another to take care of it, I like knowing I am giving someone the best life they could have, loving them to the best I can and bringing them joy - there's nothing more satisfying than knowing you're making someone else happy."

Lara took a deep breath, it was almost the complete opposite to her situation with Draco, watching him, neglecting him. It almost showed that she was just as unhappy as he was with what was happening. He smirked a little. He couldn't have been more opposite. He _tolerated_ his father's peacocks and pigeons scared him half to death. Was there a phobia of birds? If so, he had it. It was the flapping of their wings. It had taken him years to get used to owls and caged songbirds, but he could handle them with a straight face. Those wild things on the streets? Hell no. Geese were crazy and vicious, and so were swans. Ducks... he could handle, since they just sort of waddled about. Most animals he disliked, but birds he actively hated.

"I'm afraid I don't share your enthusiasm for animals, though I appreciate your interest in them," he replied, careful not to berate her choice of interest.

"That, and I do enjoy a few butterbeers and some good late night company," she said with a smirk as she doodled by tracing her finger along the tabletop.

Lara wasn't embarrassed. She was single, free, why not enjoy it while she could? Her head turned to the door. What they were doing was dangerous and she felt like they were running out of time. They couldn't talk much longer but she didn't want to be the one to break that news, though she knew too that he would be fully aware. Draco could almost imagine it. And somehow he felt a little bit saddened. That was something he could not partake in, unfortunately.

"Who knows, maybe I'll start coming here on my days off, see what all the fuss is about."

He wasn't sure if that was an invitation for her to see him again or whether she was just being kind. Heck, she could have just been stating a fact that she liked the bookshop, but he knew the reality of the situation.

"You should. It's a good shop. The owners are very kind and helpful," he replied quietly, "I'll be sure to spend a fair amount of time away from it so that you can enjoy it without the other aurors giving you a hard time. Speaking of which, there are usually at least three watching me. They won't leave me out of their sight for long. Hmm. I might even play a little trick on them and stay in here all night just to bug them."

Her face softened when he said he would start spending less time there, "No no, no don't do that. Not on my account. I'll work away around it. Besides, I work with these people, I'll know where you are and where you aren't and when it's safe, I'll pop down, no need to give it up." It comforted her knowing those there were nice to him, after seeing how people treated him out in the streets, it was an escape. When he mentioned there were at least three watching him at any one time, her heart raced a little, but relaxed as she knew if they had found him, and more importantly her with him, there would be a big scene and right now, it was just the two of them.

Draco held out a hand to shake hers, "It's been fun getting to know you. I appreciate it. I don't know what the future holds, but I hope someday we can talk again, even if it's just once more. I won't really stay here though, I was just teasing. I'll bother them some other way. Just so you know, I'm bothering them on purpose. I manipulate you because I like you. I don't want you getting the wrong idea and thinking I'm trying to cause you trouble. It's never been my intention."

Lara left his hand there for a good second or two before meeting it. "I don't believe there is any trouble you could throw my way that I couldn't handle, so it wouldn't have bothered me. I appreciate it though, I do." and she let go of his shake with a questioning smile. "On the other hand, I can't promise I won't keep disappearing, a job is a job. Thank you for making it a lot more fun today, I had hoped once in the field I'd be on big chases and fights, but no." The Ministry knew of her wishes, they also knew she was talented and capable, but she was also distrustful to them, relentless, so for now she was stuck with being on watch duty. A pretty dire place to be for an adrenaline junkie.

She stood up. "I guess I'll see you tomorrow." Lara headed for the door again, it was her job to watch him but she felt confident he would get home himself without any trouble. The Ministry on the other hand, if they had three people on watch, that's people who are looking for him, who will report that he is on the loose, and that was never going to be an easy thing to get around.

He smiled back at her and nodded, knowing for a fact that he would at least see her the next day and every day she was required to watch him. It was a little spark of hope that could keep him going while he tried to sort out his issue with the Ministry.


	5. Nathan Kelley

The next week had been rather uneventful. Draco had burned the book and every scrap of himself written within it. All of the scattered parchment around his house, anything that might have been poked through, he destroyed it all. He was determined that since one person in the world had actually read a bit of it and knew where he was coming from, he no longer needed the physical copy lying around for anyone else to snoop into. They never met up again, or spoke, but Lara knew now that the silent connection they had was stronger than ever as they finally understood each other more. She was still keeping watch but would busy herself more, so she wasn't constantly and intensely watching him, making sure Draco still had a sense of privacy, even if the other aurors didn't respect that.

There were three of them on duty again that night. Things were quiet, so none of them were solely focused on Malfoy. Draco left his flat, feeling a little bit better about himself when he noticed a stranger watching him from one of the side streets. It was someone he recognized, though not from the Ministry. He continued walking, drawing ever closer to the stranger that had once half heartedly tried to attack him. Draco saw him as a small threat, nothing to change his daily routine over. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught the man smirking for a moment before pulling Draco into the side street. Shit, shit, shit, shit. Draco forced himself to move with the momentum and tumbled away from the man. Two more waited for him within the side street. They blocked his escape. He glanced around, wanting to avoid them if he could, but they were forcing him into a fight. Immediately all three men and Draco drew their wands and began casting hexes at each other. Against one of them, Draco could have easily won, but three... it was all he could do to dodge the hexes. For every hit he landed, they landed two more on him. It was only when Lara heard some destructive noise, she noticed that Draco slipped her view. The two other aurors were up ahead, on looking something.

"What is it?" She asked, but it didn't take her long to see that he was in a fight.

Suddenly self preservation kicked in. Children could cast hexes carelessly all day. Draco was a fighter, though. He was trained by some of the best death eaters and was basically groomed to fight and win. These men were mediocre wizards. He dodged and moved, relying more on his own movement than his wandwork. One man was knocked to the ground, blood pooling beneath him, and it took the other two by surprise. Draco sustained a direct hit to his gut that threatened to knock him over, but he pressed on and on, hexes flying. In a matter of minutes the other two were lying dead in the street and Draco finally fell. His gaze was foggy but his eyes squinted in a desperate effort to locate Lara who might have been watching all of this happen. Why didn't the Ministry step in? It was quick, sure, but they should have broken it up or defended him in the least. If he wasn't going to die, he'd surely be sent to Azkaban at this rate.

"Shit.." Draco spat, feeling the taste of blood on his lips.

What had happened? Did Draco snap? Did people come and attack him but for what reason? Lara's eyes were fixed on all the blood that was now visible practically everywhere she looked, it was a messy fight to say the least.

"We have to do something!" Lara whispered urgently to Gabriel.

Gabriel nodded her head in the direction of a feared criminal boss, Nathan Kelley, one who was coming Draco's way. _Did he set this up?_ Lara felt helpless, she couldn't help Draco, it was against code, besides, interfering with Kelley was a sure death wish. Tears never filled her eyes but she was internally broken. Draco had killed people, he had given the Ministry a reason to either lock him up, kill him, or give him the dementors kiss - providing Kelley didn't finish the job off first.

"We have to go," Gabriel insisted as Nathan Kelley got closer.

The two aurors apparated away. Lara looked down at Draco, she wasn't even relieved he had survived after what he had just done. Was there any saving him? _There._ Draco spotted her. The other aurors were leaving, but not Lara. He met her gaze pleadingly before Lara's head dropped to stare at her feet and she too, disappeared. His breath came in a short gasp. He was in utter disbelief that they had all watched him and assumed he would die. Even Lara. _Nathan Kelley._ His name struck fear similar to Voldemort's, not that he was anywhere near as vicious. He was known for his violence, his history as a drug lord, his promiscuity with women, and his tendency to excessively drink. Speaking of which, he was strolling down the path with a bottle of 'special wizard potion' his favorite kind.

"My my, what do we have here?" He stopped by a young man covered in blood, raising his hand enthusiastically for a high five, "Quite the beating you got there, and quite the fight you have in you there son, props to that, am I right? Must have been taught well that's for sure."

A voice from behind him startled Draco back to the present. He clutched at the wound in his abdomen before struggling to see who it was, each movement pouring thick gushes of precious blood out of his body. There was no way he would be able to high five the enthusiastic man. Kelley spoke loud, like he had no care in the world.

"Want some?" Kelley offered, lunging his arm forward extending the booze, "Will soften the blow."

It was as if the dead bodies didn't phase him, but who would have expected any less.

"Malfoy. Ah yes, I've been looking for you for quite some time now. You and I, we're alike," Kelley continued. Though he offered Draco a drink he never let it out his hand. "Those over there, the 'Aurors'" bloody wastes of time, they did this to you,all this," He motioned around like a mad man, "Did you see the way they stood there, watching? They're rather have inexperienced wizards attack than do it themselves. Watching as it happens, trying to take us down one by one? Will they succeed? No." He turned to the wall. "They stand there, smug, as we suffer. They torture us, spy on us and what do they get in return? Our death. When they destroy us and everything they were well no, I'm not having it."

Kelley laughed and threw the glass bottle against the brick wall. Very slowly Draco began to realize who it was that was talking to him. He had heard of this man. Nathan Kelley. He was one of the few still resisting against the Ministry.

"I'm sure you're well aware of who I am boy, now what do ya say, join me and my boys? Why let them control your life and constantly prey it ends, no don't give them any power. Come with me mate and we can go against them. Every. Last. One. Of. Them. Bastards." Kelley offered, grinning was widely. He was off his head, but he spoke the truth and he really did want Draco to join him. "If this ever happened again and you were with us, we would have helped, we wouldn't have let you get beaten down like this, we would have been united. Is that what you want? People to be there by your side? We can end this you know, the Ministry, we can do it all you have to do is say yes."

He offered his hand, but it was so much more, this gesture meant he was handing over his trust, friendship, hideout, his drink, his women, the drugs, all of it. If they were to be a gang, they would share everything, including a common goal: taking their lives back and destroying the Ministry. It was time they took a stand. Draco had always thought Kelley's gang a dumb lot who would inevitably be snuffed out, but he was certainly willing to reconsider after _this_. Something inside him had broken. He was already cracked, but at that moment he felt completely shattered into a million pieces. For some reason, Kelley was making a lot of sense. What other option had the aurors given people like them? He was probably looking into the mirror, what his future would be. He would be a bitter man itching to take every last one of them out. Or he could die right there in his own pool of blood. Still clutching his gut, Draco reached out to grasp Kelley's hand with his own covered in a mix of his own blood and the blood of the three men he had killed.

"I'm in," he said firmly, pushing back all of the pain to be as strong as he could.

* * *

Dan ran into the large meeting room already filled to the brim with aurors. He had heard something drastic happened on the Malfoy case, so he scoured the room for his partner. Finally spotting her, he pulled her aside. Lara felt alone in the room of Aurors, she couldn't have been more relieved when she saw her partner.

"What the hell happened?" he asked urgently, "Thank God you're okay. Someone mentioned something about Nathan Kelley getting involved and I ran here as quick as I could. You didn't get in a fight with him did you?"

Dan looked her over for any sign of injury but not seeing any sign of her having been in a fight, he let her go, giving her a little space to explain what had happened and fill him in on all the details.

Her eyes blinked slowly. She felt numb. "From what I saw, he was attacked, or he attacked, but it was three against one, he wouldn't have been that stupid, either way, they died. Draco killed them all." her voice was bitter. "I didn't get in a fight with him, but I can't say that I'm not tempted to go back. Dan you know Draco didn't deserve this and I'm almost positive it was Kelley, we have to go back, all of us. It was our case, we weren't meant to let him die we're there to keep an eye on him, it would have been three highly trained Aurors against one criminal boss, we could have done it." she massively played down the potential of Nathan, but she was just so angry they didn't help. "What if he died? We just left without making sure he was okay, it's not fair." the only person to ever get close to her in the Ministry was Dan, right now he was the only one capable of keeping her sane.

Fear flashed in Dan's eyes as Lara expressed her anxiety about leaving Draco there. That it wasn't right.

"Careful, Kiddo," Dan whispered urgently, trying to keep Lara out of trouble. He lowered his voice even more to avoid catching the attention of the other aurors, "It certainly is not fair, but... Lara, they weren't ever going to let him go. You know that. The point wasn't to protect him. It was to push him to the point that he cracked and broke the law so that we could put him in Azkaban. The number one rule is to not interfere. That said, if it was just you and me, you can bet we would have stepped in. But not everyone thinks that way. Lara, I've been passed up for every promotion for fighting for what is right. I don't want to see you ostracized too. His case is out of our hands now, and you need to move on."

She couldn't have been paired with a better person. Just as she would him, Dan would always protect her and look out for her best interests. Lara couldn't help but feel upset by the events, even if she hadn't spent time getting to know Draco, she was invested in his case for months, obviously she would feel connected somehow. Lara quieted down, Dan had the right frame of mind, he was keeping her under control. Ever since he told her the reality of their job and the case she felt almost ashamed to be an auror. In her mind she did know exactly what she had got herself into, but she also didn't want to be one of the bad guys.

"Dan, I'd rather be like you than them." it was already starting to sound like she was against the Ministry. She took a deep breath, no promotion was worth someones life, she had to do the right thing.

"You say that now. Just wait until coworkers younger than you are flashing their fat paychecks, then talk to me."

Of course Dan would never have sold out his values. He was one of the few honest aurors that went by the book. Back in the day it had earned him quite a bit of trouble, but these days they learned to live with him, though they didn't trust him.

Dan sighed a little bit, giving a sideways glance at anyone that might have been listening in, but there was no one paying attention, "No one controls what you do on your own time. Say he survived. He'd be in one of two places, St. Mungos or with Kelley's crew. If you want to find out what happened to him, I'm not going to let anyone know. Hell, I'll cover for you. But don't get caught. Right? And Kelley isn't anyone you want to mess with. By power of elimination, if Draco is lost to Kelley, he's lost for good. Don't go snooping around there. They know you are an auror and you don't want to know what they do to Ministry workers. "

"Are you serious?! You're amazing, thank you!" Lara was frantic, he was too good to her. She hugged him tight, "I have to know if he's alive, I'll be careful. I promise. You too!" the last thing she wanted was for him to get into trouble with the Ministry by covering for her.

"Yeah, yeah," Dan said, hugging her back before running a hand through his thick brown hair as if wondering what he was going to do about her in jest, "I'll be careful, too, don't you worry."

* * *

Recovery was a slow process. Draco wasn't sure how long he had been in bed, but it felt like a train had hit him when he finally woke up. The loud club music was clattering at his ears and rattling his brain. His fingers crept to where he had been hit, feeling a bandage that had been dressed. With huge dark circles under his eyes, he pulled himself out of bed and made his way through the maze of hallways to where the sound of club music was coming from. The room itself was rather large and open, lined by strippers on poles and crowds of witches and wizards socializing. The air smelt of sweat and narcotics. Draco's stomach lurched, forcing him to quickly bring his hand to his mouth both to block the smell and keep himself from retching. He scanned the room for Kelley, wondering what the boss had in store for him.

Kelley sat in a secluded corner of the busy room, a cigarette in one hand, a stripper occupying the other. Malfoy was the missing piece and now he was here, a descendant of a powerful death eater, Voldemort's right hand man practically, they were all set with the perfect" head team" as he liked to call it. He pushed the girl to the side and called over "Draco! Brother, come sit sit!" Nathan sat up and offered Draco the seat, the stripper knew her role once he was seated.

Draco utilized his occlumency to keep himself calm and collected. Look strong... he begged himself internally. He approached Kelley obediently, his heart racing but otherwise looking hard and unaffected. He looked like complete shit due to the fight he was in, but it probably made him look tougher. He would use that. He sat down beside Kelley before the stripper turned her attention to him. Despite his effort to look tough and in control, he was in a situation he hadn't been in a very long time. He was visibly shocked, but soon fell back into a mindset of using people for his own pleasure. He hadn't been in that headspace since before his sixth year at Hogwarts. When Kelley said he'd get used to it, he realized the man must have noticed how uncomfortable he looked. At least it was a somewhat normal reaction. To think that Draco was rather straight laced...

"You get used to it," he comforted Malfoy on the scents, blowing his cigarette smoke in his face and then laughed. The young man didn't have much of a choice, if he hadn't have joined the gang kelley would have finished him off, but there was no reason for Draco to turn it down and he was glad he didn't. Eager was the word and finally he was up and recovering well.

"A few of the lads have been out trying to reverse the spying, see what the Ministry are up to, but our real plan. We need a weapon, either need to get inside the Ministry somehow, or we bring the Ministry to us, if you know what I mean?" he wriggled his eyebrows at Draco and grunted at the woman displaying herself in front of them.

"You fit enough to join us today? Head out and try grab us some materials?"

"Yeah, I think I could lend you a hand," Draco answered, trying his best not to look at the woman in front of him, "Bringing the Ministry to us... that would certainly be a hostage. I've drawn them in before, I could easily do it again. I very much doubt they are expecting to see me alive."

He prayed that Lara wouldn't be the one they bumped into. Anyone but her. After going over what had happened in his mind over and over again, he came to realize why she had run. He didn't know why the others ran, but with her the only one left standing, there would have been no way she could have taken on Kelley on her own. Not with Draco in the state that he was. And if she had gotten involved, he might not have extended Draco the offer that he did. She had been very wise at the time. He couldn't blame her. But the others. The cowards. No. Murderers. That's what they were. If he managed to grab one of them he would have no sympathy for them. None at all.

Kelley slapped his knee excitedly then pointed at Draco, "I like your style. Your spirit." he had a point too, the Ministry wouldn't be expecting him alive, perfect bait for a surprise attack (kidnap). "Two options. Stay here, enjoy your first proper welcome or I can round up my men and we can start right away. "

Nathan nodded to someone in the near distance, they were drawing equal portions of a white substance, drugs. "Wouldn't blame you either way." Kelley winked and jumped up off his seat. "Make sure to grab a few, the more hostages we have, the more leverage - especially since others will be valued more to the ministry than others, don't want to bring home shit and be at no advantage. Know what I'm saying? I have faith. You were raised well, prove me right."

"Thank you," Draco replied stoically before looking to the two occupying themselves with narcotics, "I think I'd prefer to join you and jump right in."

Draco stood up from his seat and placed his hand on the stripper's shoulder as if indicating to her to stop in a sort of gentle gesture, though his expression was hard.

"I'm afraid you'll find me to be a bit of a stick in the mud. I like to focus on work to the point that I don't tend to consider fun," Draco said, starting to get a feel for the way things worked. If he continued to be submissive, he would find himself low in the chain of command. He wanted to make a point that he wasn't afraid to speak his mind and that he took pride in his work. He had a mind for strategy and was planning to prove it. "I'll take as many hostages as I can handle. I need the men to follow my lead exactly as I need them. Can they be trusted to follow direction? We can take more of them silently if I don't have inexperienced men who think they know better mucking everything up. If they can't be counted on to listen to me, I'd rather go myself."

The test. And the ultimatum. Would Kelley bite?

Kelley turned to focus on Draco alone, leaving his narcotics - He made a big deal about sniffing the air around them, "What's that I smell? What. Is. That. I. Smell? That's leadership!" His eyes bulged, "We haven't had somebody like you in while boy, mm, I like your rawness." Nathan considering letting everyone in the room know they had a new man in command, but he thought Malfoy would take pleasure in being the one to say.

Kelley was like something out of a nightmare. His mannerisms were so jarring that it really did take skill in occlumency for Draco to not appear horrified by him. Something he couldn't put his finger on almost made him nauseous. Nonetheless, the reaction was what he had wanted. He had shown leadership traits. And he damn well ought have. He had been a leader all his life, after all.


	6. Bait

"Be not mistaken, I may be letting you in charge of my men for this task, but I am the boss around here and that will not be changing, got it? Wouldn't want you ending up like the last boy who had your spirit." He clapped twice, "Chop chop! Oh. Jacob, come!" A tall, lanky man approached, he wasn't far off Draco's age and swiftly Kelley put his arm around his shoulders.

"I wouldn't presume to change the structure, no," Draco agreed with a very slight hint of obedience. It wasn't going to be like it was with Voldemort. He swore it to himself. He needed to be strong but reliable. How the hell was Snape allowed to get away with everything back in the day? He did what the hell he wanted most of the time and apologized to no one. He was subtle, sure, but he wasn't asking for permission. He was always presenting ideas and allowing them to take it or leave it.

"This is Malfoy, as I'm sure you already know." It was no surprise Nathan was spreading the news of his arrival, "He will lead you out today. Take him to our men and set out, make me proud." He released Jacob with a hefty pat to his back and spoke to Draco now. "Jacob here isn't great at following rules but he always has his reasons, he's good at his job but just be careful aye."

Draco raised a brow at Jacob, wondering why when the only thing he had asked for was men that could follow the rules, he was being introduced to a man who didn't always follow the rules. Perhaps a challenge. Reasons for not following the rules? More like excuses. Kelley might have accepted it, but Draco considered whether he might have to break Jacob (if he could) to get the man he wanted. Of course that was a task for another day. He had to test the people he was given as he was sure they would be testing him. He willed himself to be strong... unforgiving... cruel even. Anything but what he was actually feeling inside. He was deeply horrified.

Jacob studied Draco as their leader walked off. "There are nine of us, but we're capable." He began walking and expected Malfoy to follow. "I'm sure you must be capable too if Kelley is that excited to have you aboard." It didn't take them long to reach a small room with those who were going out gathered, "You have a plan? Are we going into the Ministry or is there another spot with equal opportunity?" Draco may be the leader, but Jacob didn't take that too seriously, conducting the conversation.

"Alright, nine is a good number actually. We don't want too many," Draco replied, walking alongside Jacob, "I'm certainly capable. I've done this before and I know exactly what to do. The Ministry has a strange rule about me. Watch, but do not approach. I wonder if that might have changed considering recent events. Basically, I'm the bait, and you all are going to find your person and disarm them as they either come after me or watch me. But you have to look like everyone else in the crowd. You can't be looking at each other. You find your man (and it's okay if two of you end up finding the same man), disarm, and stun. We are doing this in Diagon Alley, not in front of the Ministry to give them any ideas that we might resist them, but in front of the Daily Prophet building where there are thick crowds. In the chaos, we can escape with our select few and have a few portkeys to the right and left side streets next to the Prophet. Half of us go to either portkey and return here. That way everyone's accounted for, and if some of us do get nabbed, which isn't likely, it would only be half of us, not the lot all running in the same direction. My rules are that no one looks at each other. You can look at me all you want. But you should be finding your Ministry official and waiting for them to notice me and either stop what they are doing or start to approach me. You want them focused on me when you strike."

The men were clear on their task, and were to set off at one. It was going to be slightly tricky, picking targets - though with Draco as bait equally as easy. They split into to groups, Draco exempt. As far as they were aware they were going to Diagon Alley, Draco would be on view, and word spread that he was dead, the Ministry was trying to make it out as if they had it in control, but there were one or two secret Witches and Wizards from the Ministry out and about (just in case there was a hint he was still alive, they needed to find him and kill him before any others were of the wiser.), but also other important figures too, as well as, obviously, 'normal' people. They needed to snatch anyone. just in case there was a hint he was still alive, they needed to find him and kill him before any others were of the wiser.

Lara made her way along the alleyway, she was sure the reporter had spotted her so she desperately tried to get away, not even paying attention to where she was running. The only thing that slowed her down was a beeping noise. Her tracker. Draco. It had to be, but where? She hurried further into a large group of people, this had to mean he was alive? Unless the Ministry had already assigned her a new case and this was her new 'client', Lara had hope though. The beeping got louder.

Draco walked alone, knowing the group of men on his side were all headed the same direction. Ripples of panic shot through the crowd as he moved through it. Those that were surprised to see him were their targets. Everyone else probably had no idea or didn't care that he was alive. His eyes shot to each person he suspected to be an employee of the Ministry. And they shot forward quickly. So that was how it would be... They would kill him on sight. They had their excuse now. Bastards. Draco made sure not to draw his wand, lest the hexes start flying to disarm him, but instead stood still, waiting on his men to grab each of them.

Blending in was a piece of cake task when Kelley wasn't around, his gang wasn't as noticed or remembered as he was which came in great handy here. Do not look at one another. They had to keep reminding themselves that. Pick out their victims, disarm them, stun them. Jacob, "No challenge." He walked sheepishly though the crowd before "Expelliarmus. Stupify." He made it look easy. He dragged his catch to the side, barely noticed by anyone and made his way to the left portkey.

Louie wasn't meant to, but he watched Jacob from the corner of his eye. He wanted Kelley to be proud. He knew what he had to do, Draco told him , Jacob showed him. He watched as a few of the others in the gang were disarming their targets, he had to do this quick, more people were beginning to notice and Draco was bait, they couldn't leave him hanging or he would soon be dead bait.

That's when he spotted someone. Long dark hair, blue eyes, beeping. He recognized her and the beeping only confirmed his was his chance, take back an Auror and he was bound to be favored. He was too keen and that wasn't good when Lara was on lookout. Suddenly a flash of dark hair came into Draco's view. Lara.

Lara thought about the book shop, perhaps he had gone there? On the way there was no harm in checking all around her, he had to be there somewhere. "Oh, I'm sorry!" She apologized, bumping into someone, though that someone made sure it was no accident. He had a different look in his eyes but before she could piece anything together he had grabbed her, covered her mouth with a tight grip of his hand and dragged her backwards slightly, out of the way of most people, he was too close to her to disarm and stun.

She managed to open her mouth slightly and bite down hard, he released her. Lara whipped her wand out and protected against the charm he was away to toss her way. She stunned him first.

Unfortunately for her, another was watching and now it was teamwork, though she never spotted him until she moved forward to identify who had raised their wand at her, a spell hit a wall beside her. Before Draco could be tempted to react, one of the men grabbed her and briefly struggled with her.

"Protego!" She cast turning around.

"Reducto!"

"Stupefy!"

A few more spells were cast, but not many. It was a short duel, little damage, but it did end in her failure.

Louis had gotten up from behind her, "Incarcerous!"

Lara fell to the ground, ropes around her torso, her arms and her legs - not to mention tape on her mouth. He looked so smug as he approached, the two of them did. "You're coming with us." He grinned down at her and the bigger of the two threw her over his shoulder, "Left or right?"

"I was meant to go left,"

"Well I was mean't to go right,"

Draco couldn't help but watch them from where he stood until Lara was inevitably restrained and the man ran towards the portkey. She had no idea what was going on, but she was sure now her tracker was broken or Draco had left, either way it had stopped beeping and she felt defeated, but not in spirit. She was tied up, but that didn't stop her thrashing around as much as she could but she was sure it was something she was probably going to regret. In that moment, it didn't matter how many people made it to the portkeys. All he needed was to make sure he made it through. With Kelley at the reigns, who knew what they would do to her. Draco followed closely behind the man who took her and grabbed the portkey, not even looking back. He was the slowest of the bunch anyway. Anyone left could apparate and that was what they deserved for not being stronger. Draco breathed in and put his hand around the portkey, his eyes still on Lara before they were all transported back to the club. She didn't need a tracker now, right in front of her was Draco. She was so shocked that she stopped fighting, all she could do was keep eye contact with him as they were transported. Surely not. Draco never had friends, no she knew that, most people didn't want near him, so this had to be Kelley. They were now in the club and it was all starting to feel so real, everything she had been warned about was coming true, maybe it was a matter of when, not if.

"I'll take her, you stand on watch for the others until everyone makes it back. If after fifteen minutes anyone is missing, inform me," Draco explained, grabbing Lara roughly and pulling her along with him.

Lara looked angry to say the least, her stare sharp, cutting into anyone she looked at. He wasn't who she thought he was, and he certainly knew his place here, he seemed to be leading them. It was too much to take in, it even made her slightly dizzy. Draco was rough, she tried to shrug him off but his grip was too strong.

"Take the others to a holding area," Draco ordered the other men, "You know the club better than I do. Take their wands from them and lock them up somewhere private. I'm going to interrogate this one. Jacob, you need to report to Kelley and let him know how many we've taken and the status of the men returning."

Draco didn't wait for a confirmation. He had said it, and he expected it to be done. He took Lara with him through the maze of hallways into the only room he knew that would be private: the one he had been recovering in after the fight that nearly killed him. Once the door was shut, he quickly embraced her, not really knowing what else to do. As soon as Draco began leading her somewhere, the others left, reporting back to Kelley. She didn't know what to think, or where to begin. It wasn't long until they were in some sort of medical room and his arms were around her. She frowned, not feeling like speaking, but confused to why one second he was harsh, the next, hugging her. Lara knew it wasn't the fact he had killed people, she had too, but it was the fact he was meant to have changed. Yes he was given no choice, but now, in this moment, he was the bad guy.

"I'm sorry you got caught up in this," he said as soon as he could find the words, "My life is in their hands, but yours didn't need to be. I don't know how to get out, and to be honest, I don't know how to get your out either. I'm going to try my best to keep you safe, but..."

He averted his gaze, feeling incredibly ashamed for what had happened and what he knew was going to follow. He was already a murderer and soon there would be a massacre. He wanted to say more, but maybe a part of him didn't trust her. If she had gotten upset and turned on him, they would both be killed. The only person he could trust was himself until he was convinced otherwise.

"In order to do that, I have to act like I don't care. In time, I can explain more, but I don't know how much time we have. Kelley will likely be joining us soon. I know you are a good person. You aren't like the others and I'm going to do everything in my power to deliver you from these people. It just might take some time."

Tape was still around her mouth so even if she wanted to speak she couldn't. Instead her eyes never left his, that said a million words. Why did he want to protect her so much? Why were they taking people anyway? Okay he had to do what he did in order to survive but kidnapping people, there had to be a plan. She fought back the tears as she saw how conflicted he was, and she too, now not knowing if he was a good or bad guy, but he was at least trying. Lara knew he had no other options, she knew how Kelley worked, but it was the fact he seemed to be in control, like it was all his idea, not anyone else's.

The door slammed open.

"What's this I hear about you interrogating someone already? I don't think I gave that ord- " Kelley stopped, his eyes focused on the girl. His voice was thick and unhappy, but his newly found grin changed all that. "I get it, I get it." He put a firm hand on Draco's head and 'play punched' him on his side. "I know her. Me, I never forget a pretty face. She was there that night I found you." Kelley paced with joy not impatience. Lara looked up at him with such bitter enthusiasm.

"I don't blame you. This here, now that's a personal vendetta," He stepped forward and grabbed her face, squeezing her jaw with only one of his vile hands. "I heard you fought back, I do enjoy the feisty ones." Lara grunted,trying to move her head free but he was too strong for that.

He released her from his grip, throwing her head back slightly. His attention to Draco now. "Jacob reports one of ours missing, Kurt; won't be missed." Kelley opened the door again. Lara was more than shocked at the lack of respect for their own people they had, or maybe it was Kelley had so many people, that one going didn't matter; they were disposable - It gave her hope that maybe the Ministry got a hostage of their own, maybe they would get answers from Kurt, depending on his loyalty, and maybe they would take this place down.

"We have special rooms for torture, come, bring her." Nathan ordered. "As I said, I know it's personal, but here, we share everything." He laughed, "Don't worry lass, we won't bother you right away; no, it's always better when you can taste the fear, let it marinate" Nathan was feeling good, successful.

"Gotta hand it to you, you make one hell of a leader." Draco had really impressed him, only one loss, Kurt, but so many gains. They managed to catch two Auror's, five citizens and another important figure in the Ministry, everything was going just as he wanted. "We'll join the others, discuss our further plans, have some food, party - celebrate for a bit then we can get started on the real fun. Mmm sweet revenge." His mouth was already salivating, talking as if Lara wasn't even there, proving she had no importance here as a human, she was just someone to give them answers, use against the Ministry, and use for their own gain in whatever way they liked - a puppet almost.

Draco's sharp eyes shot to Kelley. Damnit.. He thought he had just a little bit more time. He told the guy fifteen minutes... He listened as Kelley assumed that his taking Lara was revenge for leaving him that night. To sell a lie, one needed to walk so close to the truth that one believed it entirely. It was time to set Kelley straight right away without giving too much away to put her in any more danger than she was already in.

"Actually, I've got a different idea," Draco said, avoiding the word 'better' to avoid possibly crossing that boundary that might offend the man, "I believe in your cause wholeheartedly, but it needs to be done the right way. You're right. The average auror doesn't give a shit about us. They want us dead. That much was obvious in Diagon Alley. The moment they spotted me, they acted. But if you think we can take down the Ministry without a backlash, you're kidding yourself. We need to execute this precisely. If you had done your research, you would know that this woman has already been going against the Ministry's orders. She was to watch me but not approach, but she disobeyed direct orders. I think torturing her would be a waste. As would be torturing the people who are not involved with the Ministry. We will need the support of the people to truly take down all of the corruption in the Ministry. As for the aurors that indiscriminately kill, I think we ought to make horrifying examples of them. The more people we scare from the Ministry, the less work for us, the easier the Ministry will be to take down."

Draco's expression darkened as he continued. "On a more personal note, I like her," he said indicating with a sharp nod of his head towards Lara, "I'm not interested in the women, the drugs, the booze... I'm more interested in her mind, and I need it in tact. I'd like to convince her to work with us, not using a stick, but logic. I want to work very closely with her and have her help me take the Ministry down from the inside once she can convince us that she can be trusted. That is my plan."

Kelley was not liking where this was going, and either was Lara. She didn't want Draco risking his own life further just because of her. Her eyes shut with dread and he began giving his own suggestions, something only someone with a lot of bravery (or stupidity) would do.

Nathan raised his eyebrows, insulted with the 'if you had done your research' comment. "Now lets get this straight, who runs things around here?" He fixed his posture so he was standing more intimidatingly. "Not some lovesick puppy." He watched Lara, "Approaching you isn't law breaking stuff, not in my books - how will we know for sure we can trust her?" He took a step back and raised both his hands. "How can I know for sure you can be trusted?"

He had it all planned out, kidnap people, torture them, use them, kill them, go to war. If Draco thought he could come in here and change everything he was out of his mind. "I'll tell you what, if you both can prove you can be trusted, I'll listen." He sighed heavily, "I'll make a deal with you. She won't be taken to an interrogation room, but she will not have her wand, and she doesn't get to leave this place, not until I'm confident she is on our side - otherwise, I'll order every single one of my boys after her, and you will have wished you had let her be of use to us now - MY way."

Draco stood unflinchingly as Kelley tore into him. Deep down, Draco knew that he was right. Not only that, but he was truly seeing the appeal of having a group of people to support him. It was no wonder that Kelley was put off by it. Screw him, though. As Kelley continued to talk, sighing and giving them a chance to prove that they could be trusted, Draco felt a small bit of hope. The man could be worked on... He could still convince him. He had no intention to overthrow Kelley. Not yet, and never if Kelley didn't run the organization into the ground. It was arrogant of himself to think so, but it was the truth. Torturing innocent people was a great way to raise up vigilantes, not quell the power of the Ministry. Kelley was not pleased, but Draco did have good plans, perhaps it was wise to let someone who wasn't stoned or drunk make the decisions for once, but he wasn't that trusting. Draco's position and life was hanging on the line. He brought one of his hands down, the other went to her face and he ripped the tape off her mouth, it had left red marks from how tight it was.

"If I for one second doubt where your loyalty lies, I'll have you kill her yourself, then I will kill you." Kelley wasn't playing around either. "See you's at the party then, huh?" He walked off, big strides. Lara almost didn't want to look at Draco.

"That sounds reasonable to me," Draco answered, knowing he would have expected the same thing. If he couldn't be trusted, why have him stick around?

"That was stupid!" Lara was actually mad at him for saving her life essentially, but only because it was so risky for them both. "He doesn't trust you know you do know that? He's probably going to kill you in your sleep tonight."

Her mind could not rest, she couldn't believe what she had heard - they were wanting to take over the Ministry. There were foul people there sure, but a lot, most of them, were innocents, and she was not going to participate in the killing of good people. Draco turned to her, crossing his arms. He respectfully disagreed with her, but there was no way she could have understood his motivations. She only heard the pitch, a pitch not meant for her.

"Good. He shouldn't trust me right away. I don't trust him either. He'll trust me in time. And if he doesn't, then there's nothing I can do about it," he answered solemnly.

"This is fucking ridiculous. These people are animals Draco why are you working with them? Dictating them, even, what is up with that?!" Safe to say Lara didn't forgive easily, but she did worry quick."I'm gonna kill him, I hate him - I want to kill him. And I cant leave? I'm not staying here Draco I can't, and I won't."

She couldn't have been more sure of anything in her life, and she felt like she had the right to do so too, not just because she was an Auror and he was a bad person, but she didn't like being handled like that, not by someone as disgusting as him, and he also had Draco under his leash, that wasn't a life for anyone. This is exactly the kind of thing Dan was good for, reassuring her, keeping her on track, but Dan wasn't here, he was at the Ministry which to great delight, not, was now under secret attack; it couldn't have been any more messed up. Draco considered her question for a brief moment. He decided that he would be as honest as he could be while also keeping his safety in mind. She was reactionary. Lara was either being very open and honest with him and her unfiltered opinion or she was dangerous. Perhaps a bit of both.

"When the aurors watched the fight and let Kelley find me, I was given an ultimatum. I would either be finished on the spot or be given a chance to fight back against the people who have been harassing me for years. There was no life left for me. And once I was attacked... I killed three people. That was it. I had sealed my own fate. The only thing left for me is either death or Azkaban. Kelley presented a third option, realistically just buying me time, but also a chance to maybe change something for the next person. I don't want to hurt innocent people. Ideally I would like to research each person as much as possible before exacting my own version of justice. That is what I want to do, and if you want to leave, I'm not going to stop you. I just ask that you kill me before you do, because they will catch you again and force me to kill you, even if they have to use the imperious curse before killing me too. Or, we can get rid of some corruption in the process of freeing ourselves, if your soul can handle what Kelley has in store for us."


	7. Party

"Oh a challenge? I told you before, there is no trouble you can bring my way, that I can't handle." Lara almost smiled, "I even bet they'll trust me more than you, watch me handle it, in time."

Thank God she changed her mind about running. He wasn't ready to die yet, and her confidence boosted his own. Draco raised a brow very slightly at her comment that they would trust her more than him. He hoped that she would be right. He was already starting to trust her now that she was considering working with him. It could have been a trick, but she knew his wishes and if she chose to screw him over, it was something that couldn't be helped. While he lived, he would believe in her, because he was sure that the darker his path turned, the less he would believe in himself. He would likely hate himself bitterly. He was already starting to, anyway. He had always prided himself on having never murdered anyone. That little piece of pride was stripped away like everything else. Getting free was the ultimate goal, but this was exactly what she wanted, in a way. She was in the action, she got that rush she always loved - she shouldn't have been enjoying it but a guilty part of her was. This was the kind of work she wanted, it was the kind of work she had now. Draco said Kelley shouldn't trust him anyway, it made Lara doubt her own trust in Draco, trust that was thinning by the minute. She sighed, he really did have no other option.

"You should have tried killing Kelley, considering how great you are at fighting, I had no idea you were as skilled as that actually. Makes a person wonder."

"In my state do you think I could have any chance against him?" Draco retorted in disbelief, "He showed up after I was badly beaten. The men attacking me were outmatched. Not in the same league as Kelley."

Lara looked at Draco, he was only trying to do right by himself, she didn't blame him for wanting free or justice.

"What would your justice be? You want to get back at the Ministry and the other Aurors, okay, but I'm part of them, I also watched you for months, so what is it you want to do so badly?" Lara felt like they were back in the bookstore, arguing.

She knew leaving wasn't a good option, nor was killing Kelley, it would be running, she didn't want to be a coward. Draco thought about her question. He didn't really know the answer. All he knew was that he was hurt by an organization that was meant to protect everyone. They wanted to watch him die. It was only fair that he watched them die too. He didn't necessarily want to be the one to kill them, but then, wouldn't that make him the same coward he considered them to be?

"Yeah you were one of them," he answered cautiously, "You were doing your job and I can't blame you for that. I want to see the people who knew they were tormenting me and pushed me further, egging me on to do something drastic, just because they didn't agree with my acquittal. My justice would be that those people die, if I'm honest. We don't need people clinging to power the way they do without anything checking their behavior. The entire structure of the Ministry is flawed. It's evident in the shit they get away with and how quickly their policy can change. They shouldn't be so easily manipulated. They should stand for real justice and accept the judgement they deal."

"So, party time?" They had to be cooperative that was, what better place to start?

"Yeah," Draco agreed, "Let's go."

He would have thought with all of the mystery removed that she would seem less attractive to him. He surprised himself. The more he felt like it was a bad idea to get too close to her, the more he wanted to trust her and dare he say love her. He hardly knew her, but she had shown him such extraordinary kindness again and again. As they walked, he thought about how he ought to behave around her. What could corrupt love? Possessiveness? Perhaps that would be the route he would go. Possessiveness was dangerous and strong. It was also brutal in a way. And it would also keep her safe. On the other hand, it would tempt Kelley to try to break his loyalty by toying with her. Was that a risk he was willing to accept? Kelley versus the others... and then he also needed to think about Lara. She was an auror and she could handle herself. He wasn't sure that she would appreciate Draco's urge to protect her. He had already shown his hand in that respect. She knew that he didn't want to see her hurt in anyway. Perhaps he ought have discussed it with her, but for some reason it would feel less real... she might give it away that he was pretending? If he could convince himself that he wasn't pretending then it would be real. But then he would hate himself for it, and she might hate him too... His head was beginning to swim as he was lost in thoughts of how to act, what to say. It made him very tired and he was already very fatigued. Maybe he would try it another day.

His dull grey eyes found Kelley before he approached to attend the "party" obediently as he was instructed. Draco probably already looked a little bit strung out on drugs considering his dark circles and blank expression.

"Alright, here we are," Draco announced to Kelley with mild enthusiasm. Parties weren't his thing and he wasn't going to pretend it was. Shit. And that reminded him. He had meant to tell Lara why he was leading... damnit. Another conversation to add to the list. She would just have to trust him, he supposed. Maybe it was better she thought that he wanted it, because he did. But he had also been under the thumb of someone in the past and would rather die than be forced back into that position again. It wasn't something she would understand. Or maybe she would seeing as she was the lowest person of the aurors. She had to do what they told her. What if they told her to kill? Or more relevantly to let someone die? She would have to appreciate his reluctance to take that position when lives were on the line

Kelley stretched up and rested his arms behind his head, they arrived. "Glad you could join us." he looked between them both, "Draco made it clear he wasnt interested in our women, narcotics or drink, but you - what about you honey?"

Lara seemed composed on the outside but inside she was battling with so many conflicts. She was working for the ministry, and though she wasnt trying to push him like the others were with their reasons, she did try get him to crack in the bookstore, that was unfair - she even felt like she deserved punishing too. Death was extreme, yes he was living a life in hell - was watching those he hated die the way to go? It wasn't _that_ bad.. In the some sense, and it made her question what kind of man he really was, his morals. They were feeding each others confidence, thankfully. She wasn't sure how to go about it, apart from on stripper poles there didn't seem to be any other females around and it was well noted. Men were staring, some because she was an auror and she wasn't locked up, others because she was like fresh meat but she felt if she acting like she was with Draco, it would be like she was playing hard to get and some men like that. If she didn't do anything then she was almost giving anyone a ticket to her, it was daunting, but something she could cope with. She had to.

Lara thought for a second, she would play his game, for now. "Can't say i'm into drugs."

Nathan's eyes lit up - maybe this could work.

"Someone get missy here a drink, the good stuff," he ordered, giving a 'look' to Jacob - then watched Draco. Jacob poured some red liquid into a bottle then something which looked like powder, but it disolved quickly. "And you're going to occupy yourself how?"

There wasn't much of a party, not for a killjoy like Malfoy. As he awaited a reply his eyes sought out a woman, just because Draco wasn't into it, didn't mean Lara had to miss out. If she was to be trusted and to stay with them, she would have to become one of them. Nathan was testing them both, Lara to see what she was capable of, and Draco to see where his loyalties were, and testing how far his liking for his new found female friend from the Ministry went. Draco wondered to himself why, when he seemed to analyze his own feelings and actions to death trying to fabricate the right image to display that his own feelings betrayed him so strongly. He had to do something to rid himself of them quickly.

"They don't interest me, but out of respect for you, I'll indulge myself," Draco said to Kelley, his eyes still scratchy but his words very firm.

Kelley was pleasantly surprised, but also relieved - his message was clear and now the two of them were proving themselves, he felt pride that he was the alpha there. He still had control.

Mirroring Kelley, he found an unoccupied woman of his own and grabbed himself a drink. He would need it to dull his own morals. He took it like a shot and sullenly watched as the woman worked. He didn't look as if he was enjoying himself, but he was obedient at least. And he wasn't unkind to the woman paying him attention either. All the while the alcohol slowly kicked in and he submitted to it. The bitter hatred of himself eventually passed until he felt a sensation of simply existing in the small pocket of life that was afforded him. Only a single thought was left: could he find beauty even here, in the grime and sweat? Kelley watched as Draco slowly started to enjoy himself, or at least try.

As for Lara, it was better for her that he let her work her magic so to speak. At least that was what he told himself. The reality was that he couldn't bear to look at her lest he betray himself. It wasn't exactly feeding her to the wolves as it was cutting her free from a rope that binded him to her. They both didn't need to drown. The only part of him unaffected by his forceful rejection of himself was the pit of his stomach. Rage and anger should she be harmed or be in the path of harm. That was the only reason he dared to look, just to check every so often that she was still okay. Kelley looked to Lara, it had been 10 minutes since she was handed her drink, it done the trick. Instead of letting the stripper entertain her, it seemed to be the other way around. Nathan didn't care that he was being devious and spiking her drink, he thought it might show her true self.

Lara felt very light headed, and also like the room was spinning, but in a good way. Whatever was in her drink had made her forget where she was, instead she just felt it was another night where she went out to have a good time. Draco caught her attention and she lightly stumbled her way to him. Kelley was observing, he needed to know exactly how the two of them interacted, especially with one another, he needed to study them to trust them.

"You look like youre having fun!" she smiled, though her vision wasnt clear so she couldnt actually tell if he was or wasn't. "Good company!"

It took all of Draco's willpower with the help of his numbness to not pull her aside and away from the debauchery. Instead he gave a smile, humoring her alcohol influenced behavior. She was probably proving herself far better than he had been, despite his incredible success earlier (which he didn't consider a success, to set the record straight. It had been an incredible failure to nab only two aurors and have the nitwits take citizen hostages, but that was an argument for another day with Kelley when he was more receptive to criticism.)

"Do I?" Draco answered with a smirk, feeling as if it were the exact opposite. He was too tired to fake enthusiasm. Besides, why should he? He didn't enjoy it and wasn't going to pretend he did. He was doing it to let Kelley know that Kelley was still the boss and that Draco would put Kelley's request over his own happiness. Simple as that. No lie needed.

Lara grinned and went behind Draco, running her hands through his light hair. "You do..."

She watched as the girl danced for Draco. This was another side of Draco she hadn't seen before, not that her brain was taking it in.

"It's nice to see you taking part. Is it just me or do you feel really hot, in here?" Lara asked.

"It's probably the alcohol," he answered matter of factly, squashing any tenderness he had been tempted to express.

The problem was that Draco said that he was interested in her mind "in tact". Being physically attracted to her was not exactly a problem. Clearly. But feeling protective of her would certainly be tempting Kelley to toy with her or him to break whatever bond he felt towards her. In his opinion, it was certainly one sided. For whatever reason, she kept him sane. She was an ever present figure that could not, should not be corrupted. That made it even more important for him to both protect her and not sabotage her. The whole situation really irritated Draco, because to be completely honest, he was drawn to Kelley's cause. He felt incredibly valuable to the cause, and he wanted so little. They could keep the booze, the women, the narcotics, the power, the money. All he wanted was his own freedom and his own sanity that was being held hostage by the woman they had just drugged. If he weren't out of his right state of mind (and if it weren't incredibly rude to the host) he would have walked over to Kelley at that point and made his intentions clear. But Kelley would probably not know that Draco was actually telling the truth. It was a weird situation, and somehow Draco could easily imagine someone like Kelley shooting himself in the foot. At times the man seemed obtuse and ineffective, but at others... horrifying. As much as he mentally berated the man, he was terrified of him.

"You look like you're having fun, too" Draco observed, addressing Lara.

Yeah it probably was the alcohol. "I am having a good time." It was hardly a cover now, and if Lara knew that was playing this into Kelley's game she would not be happy in the slightest.

"Say, how bout you call it a night hmm?" a voice approached, it was Nathan who sat down next to Draco. He looked to Lara and pulled her down onto his lap, "Here you go missy," tapping his foot slightly so she was almost bouncing on his knee, subtly, enough which made her enjoy it, a lot.

Dracos eyes narrowed ever slightly as Kelley turned Lara to him. The subtle movement was not unnoticed. Possessiveness Draco demanded in his mind, allowing that very small bit of emotion to leak through his stone hard expression. It was somewhat realistic, obscured anything good, and would also give Kelley the satisfaction of knowing that he had indeed pushed Draco's buttons.

"You havent been given a room yet have you boy?" Kelley asked Malfoy, loving every moment he spent tormenting him. It wasn't he hated Draco, it was just his inital way or getting over the fact he was changing their plan and letting an Auror loose.

"You have 4A, and Lara here; what'd you say you share my room hmm? Can't have someone like you in any old place, it wouldn't be safe.." his eyes were hard on Draco, but he didn't want to push him too far. "You keep her, she's your experiement, your responsibility - that clear? " it was Kelley's way of eventually agreeing, to back off.

Kelley's arrangement was like twisting the knife already in his side. "Alright," he agreed, knowing there was actually no choice in the matter, and to say anything otherwise would have put both of their lives in danger, "Kelley, I think that it is fair she should be my responsibility. About earlier, I spoke my mind because you don't need a yes man. Ultimately the decisions are yours, and you have my loyalty, so long as I may keep a small bit of freedom to say what is on my mind in private if need be. I don't want to undermine your authority. As for any of the gains you make, the power you take, and activities you enjoy, you can keep them. I joined you to free myself from the Ministry and free other people like me. Once I have that freedom, I'll consider my price to be paid. I have no interest in the rest."

Draco was speaking from the heart with a man he feared and respected, also testing him. He could not follow a leader like Voldemort. At the first sign of any of that shit, he'd rather sacrifice his life in an effort to destroy him rather than go down that path again. Draco glanced at Lara pointedly.

"That said, occassionally I find something small that interests me. Because I ask for so little, I don't take being denied small requests for the sake of someone toying with me very well," his eyes shot back to Kelley with intensity,"So I appreciate your understanding in this matter. I'm planning to give you every ounce of my respect with a good dose of honesty. You've shown me a great deal of respect in return and I won't forget it."

Lara was too out of it to connect to much of the conversation. "Don't worry, she'll be fine in the morning." Kelley knew Draco wasn't stupid and he valued that greatly, the test was over, no more drugs in Lara's drink.

"Is there a pool here? I would kill for a swim right now." she was looking at Draco like an excited puppy, with clearly carefully choiced words. Kelley wondered what Draco would decide to do now that he was given a ticket away from the party, and freedom to Lara; it was a lot of power - did the testing really ever stop?

Draco's little speech was necessary, to himself at least. He was keeping Kelley in the loop and foreshadowing his behavior and expectations to come. Lara's meaning, if any, was completely lost on him, particularly because he thought she was half out of her mind from the drugs they slipped her. His meaning to Kelley, in his mind, was very clear: she had better be alright in the morning, and the hinted sleeping arrangements would certainly stop there.

In Kelley's opinion it was all getting a bit boring now and he couldn't be blameless, but he didn't regret everything he had done, like Draco was, he was making a point and making it very clear. "Very well. I will respect you so long as you respect me." it was a fair agreement, and one necessary.

"I cant say the same for the other boys, but you've impressed me so I'll do my best to keep them on good form. As for you leaving, if the task is done and we're avenged, you can do, debt payed, if we don't get results, I will see to it that you don't get your freedom. I like my work carried through smoothly, and I'm sure you're capable, so you have nothing to worry about." Kelley shot a wink at Draco.

"Oh and I'd get her out of here, another couple of minutes and she'll be out cold. Side effect, personally I love it. Dont often get a deep sleep you see." kelley was different now, less tormenting, he had a very tough reputation, but it wasn't one he gained alone, a lot of his strength was through his men. Truthfully, Draco was a force to be reckoned with, he needed to keep him on his side, the only way they'd reach their goal was to work together. He had the drive, the mind, he was essential.

"I'd hate to be you when she wakes, she's going to be pissed off." Kelley laughed and wiped a tear away for dramatic effect. "Tomorrow we can plan more, i'd like you there for the start - you've proven youre smart. Then i'll leave you to work with her, get her on our side and you'll really have proved yourself." i'll come by at one point to see progress, but I respect you I do, I like your honesty and push. You've earned it."

Perfectly reasonable, and Draco's pleased expression showed it. He wasted no time in escorting Lara out of what he affectionately named the "Hell hole". She was in no state to walk, especially if there was a chance she might be completely knocked out as they travelled, he hoisted her up into his arms and carried her. He found 4A and dropped her off on the bed gently. This arrangement would definitely work. By keeping her on a tight leash, he was effectively guarding her from the other men akin to foxes in a henhouse.

Part of some of his protectiveness was duty to her for what seemed to be incredibly insignificant to everyone else, but important to himself. She had treated him like a human when not many people would. The other part was likely some unhinged part of himself that was bound to her as a result of some strange byproduct of being monitored too closely for years. Regardless, he had saved her and planned to keep her safe. His own soul was hardly considered to be in any danger despite the truth being right under his nose. He had changed. Some core part of him switched his flight instinct to fight, and the violence to surely follow would continue to tarnish him.


	8. Trust

Lara was already starting to feel drowsey and wasnt quite understanding what was happening until she was on a bed. She laughed.

"Buy me dinner first atleast, wher- wheres your sense of style?" she was speaking to a figure, Dracos.

She attempted to take her top off but her hands weren't working how she wanted them too, they couldn't grab or pull. She sat up and fiddled with her jeans but wasn't getting anywhere.

"Your apartment isn't as nice as I expected it would be, but sh, shhh. No offense."

Lara then lay back down, just to get comfier and she didn't 'give up' on undressing, she simply forgot about it.

"Can I tell you a secret? Can I trust you?" she was less full of life now, fighting back the sleep, but giving into the effect it had on her. "Come closer,"

she didn't want anyone else hearing, the other Aurors that were supposedly meant to be outside his place while he slept, keeping an eye on him for suspicious behaviour, trying to drive him insane even when he wasn't awake. Clearly, it worked. Draco smiled gently at her, not so much out of pity, but out of a patient understanding of what they had done to her. Having not yet made the decision to sleep in the chair or on the bed, her invitation quickly made it for him.

"Yes, you can trust me," Draco said quietly, lying beside her and cradling her body close to his to release just a little bit of the protectiveness that was bubbling over.

He rested his head next to hers and listened for whatever secret she had to tell him. It sounded serious, but he had trouble taking her seriously. Truth be told her 'secret' wasn't a secret, merely something small she had earlier kept from him. She grinned as he joined her. "Well, oh no damn," Lara looked up at him. "I think I forgot it," though quickly she realized what she was going to say.

"I was flattered, that you wrote about me. And, and I think you are a great writer too, I liked - what I saw of your poems." her words were slow and quiet. "It wasnt much I read I didn't want to snoop, but I was surprised, in a good way. "

Lara sighed, her breathing getting heavier as she began to relax more, she felt calm, like the world was standing still, like they had all the time in the world - and though not true because she waa going to doze off any minute, she felt safe, there beside Draco, ironically. In this small space they occupied that was all theirs at least for the moment, Draco could be himself again. Likely she would completely forget anything he said.

"Thank you," he replied equally as quietly, his once serious voice taking on a more playful tone, "In exchange, I'll tell you a secret of my own. Tit for tat. I wouldn't have written half as well without you to inspire me. And now that I know you better, they don't do you half the justice. I utterly adore you. In life, I've always tended to get what I want in the end if I worked hard enough. I intend to have you too, someday once I am free."

Was it a realistic goal? Nope. But it was something that kept him going. Draco leaned in closer to her pressing his lips softly over her forehead, tenderly expressing his restrained devotion to her that made no sense to himself or likely anyone else. Maybe it did make sense, but to analyze it beyond a want was useless. Finally he could sleep. His eyes felt heavy and he fell into a deep sleep perfectly content beside her, knowing his tendency to naturally wake up quite early. His mind was finally at ease after years of running and while trapped in an even more dangerous situation. For once he could say "Screw it" and live in the moment.

Lara of course, wouldn't remember any of this tomorrow, but right now, it was perfect. He was nothing like she thought he would be, and she was happy she was wrong. He was intriguing, kept her days interesting. Now, he was so much more. When his lips touched her forehead she closed her eyes, and with that, she escaped into a deep sleep.

* * *

"wake up!" Lara insisted, upright and unhappy.

Draco jolted awake from what had been the first peaceful sleep he had gotten in years.

"I have a lot of questions," Lara shot, "but I'll only bore you with the main ones; 1. What happened last night? 2. Why does my tongue feel like it's tingling? and 3. Why were we sharing a bed? We didn't..y'know..? I don't remember a thing of last night past us walking up to Kelley, if he hexed me he's going to regret it and if you cover for him, you will too." That's the Lara people knew, forward, easily set off and somewhat fearless. She wasn't meaning to be rude, she was just shaken by the fact she had no memory, even nights at her worst she remembered, and she didn't trust anyone here.

"Glad to see youre in one piece though, they must trust you more than I thought." her tone was gentle now, showing relief.

"Damnit, Lara!" he growled in irritation, his head still spinning as she shot off questions too quickly for him to process.

He was groggy and caught about half of what she said, possibly guessing the rest: What the hell was he doing in bed with her and what did Kelley do to her to make her forget the whole night?

"First... no, I didn't sleep with you. Next..." he said, following it with muttering in frustration of not remembering what was next, "Kelley didn't hex you. He spiked your drink to toy with the both of us. You earned his trust by... I don't know... enjoying a party? And I earned his trust by unhappily joining him in his descent into debauchery. It made more sense in my head, but basically same actions, different um... hell... motivations I was the last thing... erm... yeah no one um... you know. I watched over you and made sure you got back safely while also pleasing Kelley. It was genius really..."

Draco smirked to himself. It was luck, actually. Lara was furious. The one good thing that came out of it though was that he now trusted them both, that couldn't be taken for granted.

"Anyway, I got everything I wanted, and so did Kelley. You are my responsibility, according to Kelley, which means I have every right to bash anyone's head in if they forget that. My personal goal of keeping you away from the torture room and hands of the others was achieved. Now we move on to the real work. Kelley is expecting us for... something. Damnit..."

Why the hell did he have to forget exactly what Kelley had said? He closed his eyes and cleared his mind, finally starting to wake up.

"We are helping him. I think that's all he said. Afterwards, I have to go through trust exercises with you... a whole new can of worms that I don't have the patience to plan for at this moment. He will also be dropping in, so I can't bullshit it. I think that's everything."

Draco realized he was still wearing the clothes from yesterday, so he summoned a fresh change of clothing from his flat, catching the small pile in his arms and started with his shirt, careful not to upset the bandages. His body was littered with abrasions and cuts from the fight, only the worst of his would having been dressed. _Help him?_ She got that she was a prisioner as was Draco, but unlike them, she never had a strong motivation to go against the ministry, not at the lengths the others had, to watch them die or kill them theirselves. It made her weak, she felt she could never be on their side, not fully - but she had to act like she was, or it might be the last thing she ever did. Watching Draco summon clothes it then triggered her memory, she too, had spare. It was in her backpack. Surely it was searched, but clothes weren't valuable so she was confident they would still be there. Lara saw his scars, he was wounded pretty bad.

"Now I see why we didn't sleep together, doubt you could have handled it, the state youre in," she joked but she was feeling really bad.

She should have helped him, he may not have been hurt as bad. Her reason wasnt that she was not attracted to him, no, and it both surprised and didn't surprise her to learn that.

"I couldn't have," he answered honestly to what he knew was half a joke.

Lara moved towards her iconic backpack and opened it up. With ease, she pulled her top over her head, it seemed there was no point in being shy. She reached her hand in and revealed fresh clothes. He was glad to see she hadn't made a big deal of them dressing in front of each other. The reality of their situation meant it would be happening frequently, and he would rather her be under his watch than some other room out of courtesy at risk of someone else finding her.

"You better not be thinking of some stilly trust fall exersizes," Lara didnt like the sound of anything thay they were going to do, but convincing them she was properly on their side, she had to do something of value and most likely pointless like that.

"No, I'm afraid it is going to be very intense. I'm considering truth serum. You will have to trust me to ask you the right questions and I will have to trust that you've been telling me the truth up till this point. What Kelley witnesses should look like a very real interrogation, but I plan to stack my questions in your favor from the start. Before I plan this any further, do you trust me?"

His eyes shot to hers meaningfully. It was an incredibly loaded question. Did she trust him not to kill her? Did she trust her life in his hands? That he would kill for her? Or die for her?

"And if you want, I can have you do the same with me. I have a feeling that Kelley would be even more pleased at seeing us both pass his next test."

The air got heavy as reality kicked in again. He did warn her it would be tough. Her heart raced a little, a truth serum, that was dangerous. She wouldn't lie, it made her immensely uneasy. He was going to be nice to her though, he made that clear, though it was still a lot of power to possess, for both him and Draco. Lara mirrored his look. She was conflicted, could anyone ever fully trust one another? He gave her no reason to doubt him though, thankfully.

"I do." it felt like they were getting married, she would have made a joke too if this weren't life threatening. "I have a feeling once you share your plan, he'll force it down both our throats."

If she too were to ask him questions he was to answer truthfully, she too, would favor him. She couldn't say the same for Kelley, and she was more than worried he would insist on his own questions. Why was it that when she answered him with an "I do" the first think to pop in Draco's mind was marriage? It was rather comical if their situation hadn't been so serious. As the conversation shifted to Kelley's possible interference, his expression hardened.

"That's true," Draco admitted, "It'll be tempting, but he gave me his word to respect me so long as I respect him. If he breaks this small amount of trust with me, he loses me, and I trust at the very least that he doesn't want that. Only one of us will be under the influence at a time. That will help keep us safe."

That was also true. Kelley would be tempted but also he needed Draco he was possibly the most valuable piece in his whole game, even if he didn't know it, but she suspected he did.

"One at a time, right," Lara agreed before asking, "You trust me? Enough to risk your own life?"

After everything that had happened so far, things were mostly one sided, she hadnt really ever given Draco a reason to trust her, though he gave her many.

"I'm afraid my answer isn't as simple as yours," he explained, "Do I trust you with the serum? Absolutely. I have to. With my life, most definitely. To me, life is very cheap, especially my own. That doesn't say a lot about my trust. My trust was shattered during my involvement with Voldemort. I don't trust people as a rule. If I am completely honest with you I believe you could abandon me at any moment if it were in your best interest. I simply don't know you that well. That said, I trust you more than anyone else I know. So it is complicated, you know?"

He wanted to trust her. Eventually it had to be possible, but at the moment he was hurt by aurors like her, and the most trust he gave her was that she would not hurt him, and that she would follow through with his request for her to kill him if she ever decided to run. Morbid. Lara listened, and understood. She was even doubting herself, she would what was right, what would save the most amount of people, but she also didnt want to ever have to leave him, it was equally as confusing and conflicting as his answer; to which she nodded and smiled.

"Despite much of this being a show for Kelley, I think it would also do us good. Feel free to give me all you've got," Draco said with a smirk, trying to lighten the mood a little bit.

She laughed, "You're confident," Lara smirked, fully changed now and feeling like she had some ounce of power now. "Maybe you shouldn't be.."

Lara's mind was already rattling trying to think of some questions, they didnt have to all be professional, besides Kelley wouldnt be there for the whole time but even if he were, he wouldnt be opposed to knowing some personal dirt. Draco grinned, glad to put the heavy conversation behind him finally. Without being fully aware of it, the previous night still influenced his mood which was betrayed by his easy expression.

"I think we ought to join them now," Draco said seriously, "Game faces. If we are to be torturing ministry workers, if you are able to do so subtly, I'd prefer you not watch me. I could lie to you and tell you I'm trying to convince Kelley of my loyalty, but I'll tell you before the serum, I will probably mean every bit of the punishment I will deal out. I'll be more balanced for it, but likely also hate myself for succuming to it. I don't want you to hate me too. Though I can't control that, can I?"

He smirked at her despite the conversation dipping back into heaviness. He was ready to exact some revenge. He would be cruel about it. He was about to become a different person. He just wished he could spare her the ugly truth of what lurked inside him festering for years. Though necessary, Lara wished Draco hadn't told her. The Ministry warned her of many things, but she was coming to her own conclusions from what she was seeing and hearing herself, and there was something inside of her which made her feel uneasy, he wanted this. It was wrong but he did.

"Well then lets get this over with quickly," she put on a smile herself for the sake of him, but she wasn't wanting to take part in anything - it stood against everything she believed it, their revenge wasnt something she agreed with completely, but she had to act like it didnt bother her.


	9. Justice

Kelley was waiting for them, a ministry worker was already strapped to a seat, it was vile the things they had in store with him. "Firstly, status should be revealed, it doesnt matter to some of us, but I, well I happen to favor those pure." he was grinning, rubbing his hands together like he was excited and impatient.

"We'll make it short and sweet, the starter to a meal," kelley licked his lips, hungry. "Then we part our ways and meet again later, for the main course." he was going to rely on Draco and his ideas he would take into account, this was very much a joint effort now whether they liked it or not. Though there were no tests as such he had left, Kelley was still going to be watching Draco and Lara, as he did all his men at the start, it was for his piece of mind, not necessarily to find a fault with the two of them - though it could reveal something interesting, that was up to them.

As they entered the holding room with the Ministry official, Draco had a shockingly similar look of hunger in his eyes that matched Kelley's. If he had reservations, it was only to confirm that indeed the man was at fault. His eyes flashed to Kelley expectedly. He gave a curt nod, before taking Kelley's cue to start on the man in question.

"Name and blood status," Draco ordered stoically to the Ministry official.

The man looked up at Draco with fear plastered on his pale face before answering in a shaky voice, "William Morton maternal witch paternal muggle."

"William," Draco said, crouching down to eye level with the man who was sweating bullets, "In what capacity do you serve the Ministry?"

"I-I'm a prosecutor!" Mr. Morton blurted.

"That's funny," Draco mused darkly, "I would have thought you'd be out of work. A fair amount of criminals come back in body bags, not cuffs."

Mr. Morton looked pleadingly at Draco as Draco turned his attention to Lara.

"You should be acquainted with this man, Lara. What is your honest impression of him?" he asked, the accusatory tone in his voice completely gone. This would be how he would involve her. She would need to judge her peers and leave them to Draco's wrath if they were truly guilty, just as she captured countless criminals (he assumed) and left them to the Ministry's wrath. Someday he hoped to show her the parallel.

When Lara entered it was her worst nightmare. She knew him, she worked along side him, at the Ministry - they often spoke when they passed each other, more than a simple 'hello, how are you?'. She had to get into the right mindset, she couldnt faulter now. It intimidated Lara how Draco acted, how blood thirsty he was. Lara wasn't ready to see William go down. The rooms attention turned to her, she nearly cursed Draco for putting her in this position, but it was a necessary evil.

"He does his job." she spoke with her eyes at the wall, not at Mr Morton, Draco, Kelley or the others. She didnt want to do wrong on either of their parts. Maybe her answer was too short, but it was all she was going to give them for now, in her opinion they were lucky to even get that.

Kelley breathed in deeply, he was enjoying this - Draco was stepping up and was showing himself to be a great figure for this job. Lara was participating but she wasn't at the same stage as Draco who was being smart. He involved her saving Kelley the trouble, he knew exactly what he was doing.

"Go on," Kelley instructed, Draco had this under control, he needed to continue what he started.

Louis and Jacob watched greatfully, taking everything in, watching tactfully how it was done, for when it was their turn.

Draco's gaze lingered on Lara for a moment before nodding to Kelley and turning back to Mr. Morton.

"It's unfortunate," he said quietly to the man, "Guilt by association. You did your job, which means you were either in on the persecution of people who had nowhere left to turn but the Ministry to protect them, or you were ignorant of it and thus incompetent."

Draco brandished his wand, "Tell me the truth. Were you aware that the Ministry was covering up the deaths of undesirable people?"

"No!" Mr. Morton cried out in denial, receiving a small jolt from Draco's wand, a weak cruciatus curse.

"Really... what do you think was going on? Strange that nearly every former death eater would rather die than be tried. Didn't you find that odd? Did you ask the aurors or even the minister about it?"

"It never crossed my mind?" Mr. Morton insisted.

"Were you willfully ignorant of it?" Draco pushed.

"Yes..." Mr. Morton admitted softly, "I didn't ask questions because I didn't want to know the answer."

Draco drew closer to the man, inches from his face. "William, you were our prosecutor. You were the man everyone looks up to as the justice of the Ministry... You failed me. And you failed your own people."

"My own people?!" Mr. Morton huffed, "Who?"

"Does the name Amanda Kerring ring a bell?" Draco asked solemnly, "You knew her... right?"

Mr. Morton's face paled considerably. They had cut Draco Malfoy off from everyone, yet he knew one of the auror's secretaries. Not just any secretary. The daughter of a death eater who had worked hard to get her job at the ministry.

"You have nothing to say for yourself?" Draco breathed.

"I knew about her situation..." Mr. Morton admitted, hoping that Draco would go easy on him for telling the truth.

"To clarify, you knew that the auror she worked for had his way with her weekly..." Draco pushed.

"Yes," Mr. Morton answered.

"Why didn't you charge the auror with the crime?"

"I was convinced that Ms. Kerring was blackmailing him. There was never any evidence..." Mr. Morton protested.

"You didn't think to at least move her?" Draco questioned.

"How the hell do you know about Amanda Kerring?" Mr. Morton shouted in outrage.

"Her parents knew mine. We were childhood friends. Your inaction killed her," Draco breathed, wanting the man dead, "So... my inaction is going to kill you. I think that would be appropriate. You never harmed anyone personally, so you don't need to worry about true torture, Mr. Morton. Your death will be relatively swift. Like your justice, right?"

Draco swished his wand, sparks flying and catching the chair on fire. Another swish of the wand summoned a bucket of water which Draco held in his free hand symbolically as Mr. Morton was consumed by the flames. As soon as Mr. Morton died, Draco poured the bucket over his body, drenching the flames.

He turned to face Kelley looking unaffected by the man's death. It had done nothing to quench his thirst for justice.

"I'd like to do more research on the hostages before we go through them," he mentioned, "I should have known more about the prosecutor. If he hadn't happened to have been personally involved in an issue I was aware of... he wouldn't know why... I need them to know why I am killing them."

His words were raw and unashamed. He didn't enjoy hurting people, but he had a need inside of him that required revenge done in a certain way to fill that hole inside of him. He trusted Kelley with his struggles, feeling he had some common ground with the man. As for Lara, she was just in a bad position. It's not like it was easy for Draco, but it had to be done. He could have had her be physically involved, but he spared her soul, taking on all of the sin himself. It was just part of wanting to protect her, all of her. Maybe someday she would understand. But she might not like it. Lara wouldn't look, nor would she listen. Instead she insisted on keeping her gaze at the wall. She was ashamed, horrified, upset and angry, she needed to bite her tongue and not get any of them in trouble. This was a persons life, and Draco removed it like it was something you'd do without thought, like grab a jacket before going outside in the winter. It sickened her. Draco was proving by the second that she underestimated him, killing and feeling no hardship for doing so, no guilt. Everyone in the room could tell how bothered she was, but she didn't care, she was trying her best to hide it. He was being vile, just down right cruel; Lara didn't even want to be in the same room as him anymore. Though he was everything she had hoped he wasn't, some part of her still believed that this wasn't him, and that part of her kept screaming his very words when he told her he'd have to do bad things but he was good - still, this was too far and she didn't quite know that until it happened right before her eyes. Lara's eyes had glossed over, but she didn't look sad, she looked like she was going to turn on everyone with her bare hands - not that she could, she was powerless - wand or no wand, but she was very unhappy.

Kelley applauded Draco and the others copied. "I like your style, kid. Having them know why you're killing them, letting them regret over their mistakes while they know their end is coming, good tactics. And Fire; Nice touch, nice touch, I liked that, I did!" He let out an excited squeal.

His head turned to Lara, "Don't be a spoil sport, show us all your pretty smile. He's dead, it's justice." Kelley's voice turned cold. He nodded to Draco, "Oh I shall."

"I think it's time we started our trust building exercises," Draco mentioned, "If it's alright with you, Kelley? You can drop in on us anytime, by the way."

Lara didn't respond much but by blinking slowly, it was all she could do with all of them there, when it was just Draco and her, that's when she could open her mouth.

"Trust will need to be built." She couldn't help herself. The whole point was to get Kelley trusting the two of them, but for her, it was Draco who needed to prove himself, his real self - she self she knew occupied him, the self he hid and instead, let it get taken over by a brutal man with no morals.

Lara broke out of her state and exited the room, she couldn't cope being in their any longer. She expected Draco to follow, but she half hoped he wouldn't. Lara wasn't in a hurry but she rushed her way down the hall, she didn't know where she was going, but getting far away from that place as possible was her main intention.


	10. Truth

Draco smirked at Kelley, genuinely happy to have pleased him. It felt good to have someone on his side that understood. He couldn't fool himself though. While they both wanted to take down the Ministry, they had separate ways of going about it. To Kelley it seemed like it was just entertainment, but Draco had a deep sense of justice. He included himself in it as well. Once order was restored (or created for the first time, let's be honest) in the Ministry, he was prepared to pay for his actual crimes.

He followed closely behind Lara as she left. The entire room had noticed her reluctance, Draco included. As he noticed her hurriedly going down the wrong hallway, he quickly corrected her, guiding her back to room 4A where he planned to do the interrogation. Upon entering the room, Draco was very silent. He cleared his mind and tried to remember where he stored his more expensive potions before summoning the truth serum, two doses, from his flat.

"If you want, you can do me first," Draco said quietly, looking apprehensive, not due to the serum, but expecting her unfiltered opinion to shortly follow.

He couldn't say that his mind was usually quiet. It wasn't. At that moment, the thoughts were so loud and busy that no one thought stood out in particular. It was a mixture of shame for what he had done, pride for being strong enough to do it, apprehension for what she thought of him, hatred for not being a person who deserved any better than Mr. Morton, and dread for all of his plans to come crashing down on him. It was the result of success. Each success made him hesitate and double check that he had considered everything. Failure was much less stressful. He could sit back and let fate swallow him whole. His eyes sharpened, realizing that he was doing it again. He was completely consumed by his own thoughts.

Despite having to change direction following Draco showing she was going the wrong way, she was still ignoring them. They both kept quiet, it was a chilly atmosphere. Lara waited until they were in the room before she spoke. Normally she would have retaliated with a joke, but it wasn't a matter of deciding not to say it because she was mad but more of, she was so mad she hadn't even thought of it as anything more than it was.

"I want my wand." She demanded, her eyes now fixed on his, just as intensely as they had the wall. At first she ignored the potion, the whole trust exersize he had planned, but she knew that this job was more important than her anger, it was more lives to try and spare - Kelley could come in any minute. "No, no, you're more suited to the interrogation, of dominating it." Her words were spoken harshly and she grabbed one of the two liquids. "I still want my wand."

Lara downed it quickly, she never expected them to taste very nice and she often heard those at the Ministry complaining about it, but perhaps they were merely fussy. "Go on.." She mimicked Kelley, the one person she thought he would never become, but he was almost just as bad as him, it was destroying her. She couldn't even begin to imagine how he felt, how it felt, doing that to someone, no matter the reason. Having killed herself she could relate somewhat, when under attack you have to fight back, but you must always have an honorable reason why.

Instead of sitting down she stood her ground, her eyes still on his, the potion bottle smashed on the ground beside her, though no satisfaction of breaking it would heal her feelings. She waited.

"You know I can't give you your wand, and you know why," Draco said with uneasiness in his voice.

He mentally scrambled to come up with some questions, suddenly losing his confidence in his plan. A sick feeling shot through him and his stomach flipped. The mantra of be strong wasn't very effective. He took a breath, swallowed, and began cautiously.

"Have you ever killed a man?" Draco asked very softly, almost unable hold eye contact with her.

Draco denied her access to her wand and it didn't matter she knew the reason why she wasn't allowed it and he couldn't give her it, she was stubborn and hated feeling weak. She needed her wand, to her it symbolized everything she was, and her true passion; magic.

"I have." Lara replied, honestly, of course - his softness not effecting her. She was to mad to dread any questions he was going to give her, and though she didn't lie, it was like she was back in that room where Morton sat waiting to die. Short and sweet answers. She would have though Draco would have guessed her answer, she just wondered how he would take it and if he would label her now as just one of the other Aurors.

He had figured as much. That was in the job description, he was sure. He wasn't sure if she knew why he was asking her questions in the style that he was using, but it was probably safer if she didn't know. That thought shocked him,and he needed to nip it in the bud once and for all.

"Would you ever sabatoge me, even in a subtle action, to get back at me for what I've done?"

This time it was vague, but he needed to hear the answer to ease his own mind. He was teetering between feeling guilty for not trusting her to not sabatoge his plans on purpose and feeling prudent in expecting it from her.

Lara's answer was just as vague, but equally as true. "I don't know." She spoke slowly, her look turning more gentle. She didn't WANT to hurt Draco, but she could not promise him that she wouldn't do something if she felt it was the right thing to do. It was a conflict even she didn't understand. She was almost sure he'd be unhappy with her answer.

"Save some brutal questions for Kelley," Lara sarcastically and unenthusiasticly spoke. "I care about you. I just don't agree with you." She didn't like admitting it, but she felt she couldn't just leave her answer at ' I don't know' and because of the truth serum, that's what rolled off her tongue.

Draco shook his head, looking thoughtful. The adrenaline from before had worn off and his apprehension had faded.

"No, actually that one wasn't meant for him. It was meant for my own peace of mind," he explained quietly, not willing to express his opinion any further about it.

"If a man had the power to save your childhood friend, but chose politics instead of what was right, and the result was that she killed herself... and if not a single person in the world was able to hold him accountable legally, but you had the chance to kill him, would you?" He asked, truly wanting to know more than that, but refusing to make it an open ended question.

The fact the question was meant to ease Draco made her feel even worse about not giving a straight 'no'. Her heart began to race as he spoke again, maybe she wasn't as confident as she liked to believe whilst on the potion.

She thought about it, though her mind came up with an answer right away, her mouth then followed. "No." Lara was firm. "I would have made sure he suffered until his time was up. Naturally." She wouldn't have murdered them, that was the easy option, even if she tortured him first. This was something the Ministry asked her too once, under the same potion - it was another reason they were so keen to keep her around, even if she wouldn't admit it, deep down, she liked the slow torture. Not that she knew she was doing it in the case with Draco; it was the perfect manipulation.

Everyone had their dark sides if tested and thrown into the environment and situation. She only hoped he wouldn't take it the wrong way - like he had insisted of himself, she too, was good at the core.

Draco's brow furrowed slightly at her answer, which ended up confusing him more than when he started. Did she just admit that she would torture him until he died of exhaustion or an unrelated reason? _Coward!_ his mind shouted, though he kept his lips tightly sealed. His expression easily revealed his hurt, however.

"Kelley should have seen that," Draco said darkly, "Moving on... Was I wrong for killing Mr. Morton?"

Eh, the question was very loaded but it needed to be asked. He didn't know where her mind was at the moment, and at this point she couldn't give a wrong answer. If she said he was wrong, well... it was obvious that morally it was wrong. If she said he was right, though... he would have many more questions for her.

Lara still had her turn to ask him questions, but things were heavy enough already. "Don't ask questions we might never come back from, even if you want to know the answer." her tone was almost pleading, the two of them were both hurting.

"Kelley can go to hell."

She took a deep breath, almost afraid of what the truth would be. "No. Bad people deserve bad things. " Lara didnt know that was her opinion until the truth potion revealed it. Her own part added, "Everyone is bad though, there's a fine line."

Lara sat down on the bed behind her. "Revenge was necessary, but my opinion, honest opinion, is that my view doesn't matter; i'm not a fair judge, this isn't my fight Draco, it's not."

Draco glanced to the door anxiously, but he didn't see Kelley. Looking back to her, he wished that he could say everything on his mind.

"Lara, I don't blame you. Whatever your answers are, I accept you. I don't want you to agree with me. I just want you to trust me that I have what I believe is your best interest at heart. Someday I would want you to trust me with your life completely, while knowing what you now know about me. I'm going to save the rest of my questions for Kelley, because I'm running out of them."

He felt like he needed a break for whatever reason. His mind was racing and he didn't have the energy to sift through it all like he normally did.

"Once Kelley checks in and witnesses a few of your answers, and your serum wears off, I'll let you question me. In front of Kelley, too, if he so chooses. I have very little to hide from him at this point."

Lara stared back at Draco, she kept failing to understand why he was so interested in her safety and trust, more than the mission at hand. She began to speak, she was wanting to ask him before Kelley got in but that never happened and she was cut off by his arrival.

"Speaking of the devil." She muttered.

"Draco," He nodded, "you," Nathan noted to Lara. "Well? Having fun? I don't smell smoke I guess she's cooperating. I joke I joke." It seemed nothing killed his spirit and he wasn't bothered by her comment, as he mentioned before, he liked the feisty kind.

"So, straight onto business, has she said anything worth my time? Or have you not got anywhere yet?" Lara felt a huge amount of pressure now he was in the room, she only wondered what Draco felt like.

Draco turned to Kelley seriously, "From what I've observed, her morals aren't so black and white as she displayed in the interrogation room. She's admitted that she would torture a man to death if he had personally wronged her enough. There is a lot of potential I see in her, but as expected, a bit of work to go. For your own peace of mind, I saved just a few questions for you to observe. Afterwards, she is to use truth serum on myself and ask me whatever she likes. You're welcome to sit in on as much of that as you'd like, as well."

He turned to Lara casually, deciding to ask her three questions together for Kelley to get an idea of where they were at in their progress. "Three questions, answer each in a complete sentence for the sake of clarity if you would. Have you ever killed a man? Do you trust that I have your best interest at heart? Should I trust you with your wand?"

The questions were chosen in such a way that she could give no wrong answer. The first, he already knew her answer. She couldn't fail. The last two were meant to prove that Draco should remain close to her, and if she answered differently than he expected her to, that she was on her way to earning even Kelley's trust. They weren't exactly softballs so to speak, so he didn't suspect that Kelley would consider him being soft on her or manipulative towards him. Dangling his own trust test in front of Kelley would likely be too tempting a distraction for him to pay too much attention to it.

Kelley's eyes buldged and his smile widened. "Perhaps I should watch what I do then, aye?" and he nudged Draco's arm. Not that Kelley wouldn't put Lara in her place if she did try anything, but the fact Draco saw potential in her, well that went a long way. Even he was surprised. "Thank you, I respect that." and so he watched.

Lara was relying on Draco do go through with his promise, to be smart with his questions. 'Complete sentences' that part she wasn't too happy with. She sighed and looked to Kelley. "I have killed a man, yes - and I was right to do so. I trust Draco has my best interests at heart and I don't quite know why." She was trying to get it over with, somehow prolonging this experience wasn't something she wished. The next part she was tricky with. Draco could trust her with her wand, but Kelley couldn't. Essentially that meant then Draco couldn't either, if she was to do anything it would jeopardize them both.

"No. You shouldn't."

Kelley was impressed, she had a drive in her and she wasn't a stranger to killing, it didn't matter what excuse she had for doing so, she had it in her.

"Well she said it herself," Nathan laughed, no wand for her. Not anytime soon anyway. "Do you have any other questions? Don't be shy around me, and for gods sake take advantage; truth potions are a gift." He motioned as he brought his hand up to his heart, like he truly meant it.

"Then, your go." Overall Kelley was pleased and for now, he didn't have any questions of his own, as far as he could tell so long as she trusted Draco, Kelley could trust her. Draco was the bind that he needed and so long as he only had to control one and let Draco take care of her, then it shouldn't be too difficult.

"Nah, not shy. It's just at the point that it is going to take some time," Draco explained, "But yeah, I'm ready to give it a go."

In a swift motion, he downed the serum knowing Lara's would wear off shortly. He turned to Lara, taking a deep breath.

"Take your best shot!" He challenged her with a confident expression.

Kelley let the two of them get on with it, he was merely there to watch over - not to interfere unless absolutely necessary. Lara gave Draco a look and stood up, "This should be fun." Though she didn't look like she was enjoying it at all.

"Draco, when you killed Mr Morton, how did you feel?" She was going straight for the kill. "and you killed him, why? Was it to satisfy yourself, Kelley? why?". Lara wasn't sure how he'd take to the questions but he was bound to know they were coming and as far as she could tell the answers would be nothing Nathan would have a problem with.

As she waited for the answer she reminded herself that this was the truth, he couldn't escape it now and it not only was proving something to the boss, but also to her.

All of the color drained from Draco's face after hearing the question. He had cornered himself without thinking it was even possible.

"I felt nothing but hatred for myself. I expected to feel vindicated. Maybe next time. I killed him, because someone needed to put him down so that he couldn't continue to neglect people I care about. It was to satisfy my thirst for justice. It was also to satisfy Kelley, but mostly myself. I killed him because I had to. I would kill him again if given the chance."

He looked fatigued, not expecting the strength of the serum to penetrate him so deeply.

Lara got goosebumps, she was almost afraid to look at Kelley. That was not what she wanted to hear, and it probably wasn't what Draco wanted to share. She looked to the ground then back to Kelley. "I want to stop now."

He knew she wasn't lying, the truth potion didnt leave your system that quickly, but it would soon. "Not so fast," He persisted. "If you wont ask another I will. Would you kill on demand? If I needed you to, would you?"

Lara knew this would be hard for Draco, she did not shoot Kelley a friendly look. "One more;.." he smirked as he switched his gaze between them both. "What is so special about her? you keep trying to protect Lara and I just cant understand why." he laughed "She is one of THEM."


	11. Answers

"If my life depended on it or I agreed that the person should die, yes I would," Draco answered honestly.

What did Kelley expect? A trained monkey at his beck and call? That wasn't what Draco had ever promised him, so he didn't feel particularly bad about his answer. He wanted the truth after all. The next question gave him pause.

"I protect her because I discovered for a fact that she wasn't like them before joining you, and she doesn't deserve to be lumped in with the other bastards. I'm also physically and intellectually attracted to her. Like I've told you in the past, shells of people don't interest me. She interests me, and I don't want to lose her. I would rather die. So long as she is under my protection, I'm happy and willing to cooperate with our mutual goals. But my condition is her safety and the maintenance of her innocence."

Both Kelley and Lara were happy with his answer, it was what they both expected. It was the next answer though which got the biggest reaction.

Kelley was only interested in two parts of the honest answer. "You're lucky." if Draco believed that she wasn't like the rest, then she wasn't. He trusted that, especially now it was confirmed he was telling the truth.

"She doesn't have any innocence left. It's funny, I have a 6th sense like that." he headed for the door. "I've seen enough. You should both be proud of yourselves."

Proud was such a vile word in this situation, considering the things that were done and admitted. Lara stayed silent.

When Kelley left she just looked around the room, feeling bad that his privacy was taken away, or maybe it was just she didn't know what to do with the information. Apart from her partner she didnt know anyone else who thought highly of her, not like that.

"I eh, I think my truth serum has worn off now."

Draco was also very quiet. His had not yet worn off, and he didn't really know what to say.

"It's interesting that things are going so smoothly, and yet... i mean we are alive... and safe physically. Anyway, you didn't get a chance to ask me anything without Kelley breathing down your neck. If you want, you can ask me anything else," Draco suggested.

Draco had an interesting outlook on the world. He was himself, flaws and all, and there was no point in pretending he was somebody better. Likewise, he liked Lara even if he disagreed with her. He wasn't upset with her as much as he was disappointed that he really didn't measure up.

Lara nodded, he was right. Draco then offered her the chance to ask anything without Kelley being present, she thought about it.

"I think i'll take my own advice, not ask anything I don't want the answers to." it was dangerous, one minute she found him unbarable, the next, none of it mattered.

"Would you rather I ask questions on the same level and we get the answers out in the open and deal with whatever comes next, or shall I try a lighthearted approach?" his choice. They could either continue, or try recover.

"Let's get whatever is left out of the way," he suggested seriously, "I don't like the thought of something else lurking that we would eventually run into later."

He wished he could just dump all of his thoughts on the floor for her to sort through, though it seemed rather selfish of him to think so.

Lara respected that. "Okay, fair enough." it was better they got it out of the way. She moved to sit back down on the bed, if this was to get deep she didn't want to be unsteady.

"You said there was self hatred, but did any part of you enjoy what you did?" she almost didnt want to know the answer but part of her was screaming in her head, desperate to know what his honest answer was.

"Do you blame me at all, for the Ministry? - you're bound to wonder if I knew any of what was going on, or if I went in blind?" lara looked to Draco.

"Lastly, do you think theres a possibility you liking me is all in your head? A misguided perseption because I was the first one to take an interest in you, for the person you are." lara wanted to lighten it off slightly, bombarding him with a lot wasn't her intention.

" Draco you have good in you I see that. Do you see it too?" she knew she said last question before, but this was the most important and she just had to ask, then, she'd stop; no more questions.

As much as he thought that he was prepared for her questions, this round wasn't any better than the last. The only saving grace was that Kelley wasn't also occupying the room. It lightened just a little bit of the burden.

"No, there wasn't any part of me that enjoyed what I did," Draco answered honestly, "I wished that I could enjoy it... I suppose getting some answers satisfied me to some extent, but... in the end it only tarnished myself. I mean, it's good that he's dead. I fully believe that. And someone had to do it, so why not me? You see, I used to pride myself in the fact that I had never taken a life. It doesn't get easier... I thought it would. I wanted it to be easy. I cared nothing for him, honestly, but the act of taking a human's life bothered me somewhere underneath the surface."

Her next question was much easier. "No, I don't blame you," he answered, "You were just doing your job. I'm sure there are a lot of Ministry workers like you. I don't blame them either. It's likely at that point I might refuse to comply with Kelley. I've considered just bowing out for the ones I can't prove guilty. I won't stop him, but I won't assist either. Kind of what their attitude to me was, no offense."

He mentally moved onto the following question, whether it was possible that his feelings for her were just in his head. She was very perceptive. He sort of wished she hadn't asked.

"It's definitely in my head," he answered cautiously, "And I'm sort of afraid to pick it apart right now... It's been the one thing holding me together since before we even met. In the back of my mind, I'm pretty sure it is something I fabricated to help make some sense of my situation. That said, just because it is in my mind doesn't mean it isn't real. It feels very real... very dangerous for Kelley to mess with... dangerous for myself in a physical sense. It's the opposite of self preservation, which should be something that should concern me. Instead, I find it very freeing for whatever reason. So, I'll keep it whether it is real or not."

Finally the last question, another loaded one. Did he see the good in himself? Not lately... Did that mean it didn't exist? Not exactly...

"I guess it would depend on how you define 'good'. I see skill and achievements. I see a very small sliver of potential. Things people like Kelley might like... Attributes that help me survive. But 'good'... I really can't say that I do. I guess the only good thing I'm doing right now is keeping you safe to the best of my ability and at least trying to uphold some sort of justice. I guess it is murky, but I probably see something... either way I know it exists. I just don't know how long it will exist. It's not that I'm going to suddenly become Kelley, but I believe very strongly that every life I take will tip me further and further away from anything good. I feel like I am sacrificing my humanity. I half feel like I deserve it. I have an incredible amount of hatred for myself. I've had it for a very long time, unfortunately. I know it isn't healthy, but... I've already slipped this far. It's pretty much hopeless. Maybe someday when justice is restored and I serve some time in Azkaban for the things I've done, should I ever get out, maybe then I will feel good about myself."

This much self reflection fully exposed to Lara had tired him out. He sat next to her on the bed and rested on his back staring up at the ceiling. He had admitted some optimism, he realized. Something inside of him still fought on somehow.

"I don't think this was a very good trust exercise," he said quietly, "I'll have to do better next time."

Lara felt awful for asking, it was a deep question but she had to know,she also felt to some degree Draco would want her to know, and to even know himself. He didn't enjoy it, thats thebit she held onto, not that he wished he had liked it, but that he didn't.

Draco spoke the truth, she wouldn't get mad at him for that. She knew something waa up with the Ministry to some extenf but she was never aware of what ut was and because she had a gut feeling it wasnt a good thing, she turned the other cheek.  
"No offence taken."

The next part she didn't know how to feel about. If the feelings were in his head, then he was risking an awful lot for a false sense of what she could only call some sort of 'love',It bothered her. She felt as though none of it were real now, that he was only protecting her because he had convinced himself that he liked her when in reality, it was in his damaged head.

She had to focus on the last question the most. He spoke like a man who had a bit of hope, that all wasnt lost; yet, that's all she needed. She didn't know it till now either, but she waa going to save him - make him see the good in him as she does, even if he thinks theres nothing left.

He joined her, sort of. Lara turned to face him, though still sitting up. "No, me neither." she admitted looking down at him, "you just needed the right questions, besides its truth potion, there is no 'better'."

"Give it time, the serum, you feel lighter once it wares off," even if the answers she got felt like a heavy weight inside. "You're going to be okay. It might not seem like it now but trust me, i'll make sure of it." she didnt want to say she'd save him it was too corny, but it was the least she could try and do, and so she would. Her small smile then faded as she looked around, it half felt like they were in Azkaban, a horrible prision.

Draco smiled a little bit back at her, glad for the bit of understanding he was receiving. Somehow when she said he would be okay, he believed her. At least for the time being, she didn't seem to hate him, and they were both alive and out of danger, and that was good enough for him.

"Thank you," he said, not knowing what else to say in response, "It's nice to have someone on my side."

He thought back a little to when her drink was spiked and she was rather bouncy and a bit silly. He wondered to himself if that was something that actually existed within her or whether it was just the influence of the drink. At that time she had been incredibly attractive to him for some reason, but he couldn't quite put his finger on why.

"You're a good person," Draco said sort of out of the blue, "There was something earlier that confused me though. Why were you so angry that I killed that man, when you knew what he had done to someone close to me, and you admitted you would want to torture such a person? In my opinion, death would be a little bit of mercy... it feels like the people who work for the Ministry would rather torture undesirables than be the one to kill them. It feels so cowardly to me. I wish they had come at me with wands rather than toy with me. It seems so manipulative and... Lara, I really don't understand it. I want to understand why they wanted me to kill myself rather than reform. My life was so small... Why bother with me?"

He looked incredibly hurt, and he knew that it wasn't quite her fault, but something existed within her to allow her to possibly see from their perpective. He hated himself for killing people, and he hated that he had to stand by while so much evil had been done around him when he was a boy. And afterwards, he was told he always had a choice, but never tried. It didn't feel like much of a choice to him.

Lara knew some sort of 'youre a good person, but.." was coming, and she was right. She sighed, "He was only doing his job. Look Draco, I'm not the Ministry, i'm just some stupid girl who wanted to be an Auror without actually knowing much about WHO I was working for, their methods are not my methods."

She was getting angry, "If I was to torture someone I wouldnt do it with their mind, I'd make them feel it, physically. That's not cowardly, that's justice." lara didn't want to feel that way, but people had to pay and there was something inside her that agreed with Kelley, and the Ministry, that they had to suffer.

"I said it earlier Draco this is not my war. I dont want to be apart of it and if im honest, I dont know which side I would be on if I was - I see both arguments, I hate both equally as much and the more mad I get the more I want to join in." lara didn't know hie to explain it, she wasnt a bad person, she wanted to catch the bad people, but Draco revealing Mr Morton meant she had a different view; that everyone was corrupt, even just a little and that everyone, to some degree should be punished for their crimes.

There seemed to be no right or wrong anymore, more a matter of who was going to destroy who first. "Voldemort was brutal. You were associated with him, there was always a danger there, even if you deny it. Utilitarian ethics, THAT'S what I stand by. I want to protect the most amount of people with good intention, it seems I dont have that option anymore."

"Well, I want that too," Draco said sullenly, "I feel like if we got rid of the people who don't uphold justice - and, no, if he was doing his damn job, I wouldn't have a problem with him - if they were out of the picture, I feel like most people would be protected, and you wouldn't be marginalizing a group either. I didn't mean to make you upset. You're right, this isn't your war. Not yet."

'Not yet', she didn't like the sound of that. The two of them were back and forth; getting along, disagreeing, at each others throats and then back to what they were now, in a lighter mood. Perhaps Lara was trying to forget about everything by endulging herself fully into the new topic, or maybe it did interest her. Draco closed his eyes, feeling the serum finally starting to wear off. Immediately he closed his heart and mind off to avoid any more hits while he began mending all of the work he had done with his occlumency. He didn't like feeling so exposed. All he knew was that he wasn't satisfied with her answer before he locked all his thoughts away even from his own analysis.

"You were cute when Kelley spiked your drink," Draco said, another topic completely out of the blue, "If it hadn't been so dangerous..."

He decided not to finish that thought, but he did smirk a little.

"Kelley admitted to using it to help him sleep. I can't help but worry about the people around him in that state. They must know to clear off..."

Lara looked at him surprised, but she laughed. "You think drugged girls are cute? That's a bit inappropriate is it not?" she nodded, "if they had any sense anyway. It is a pit though, having not remembered a thing. Would be quite good knowing how to attract you, quite the advantage I'd say."

She too, smirked. "Cute isnt a great word, I mean," Lara stood to explain. "Cute is for bunnies and puppies; kittens and babies - makes me wonder.. Quite a childish word, actually."

"I didn't say drugged girls were cute, I said that you were cute," he corrected with a smirk, "Normally I feel quite a bit of pity for them, but I didn't pity you. You looked like you were really enjoying yourself. I envied you."

He laughed a little bit, recalling some of their conversation, "I was having a terrible time, but you were absolutely convinced I was having a blast. And yes, cute it the appropriate word. Bunnies, puppies, and kittens are all innocent, as were you, and yes, there was something childish about it. It was certainly cute. And funny. If I wasn't scared out of my wits that I'd end up in a fight with someone, I would have really enjoyed it."

There was a somewhat haughty look in his eyes, "You even told me a secret... And I told you one in return. Ah, but you will never know now... You'd have to torture it from me."


	12. Lady Justice

"No, no you cant just do that!" her brain rattled so fast, what could she possibly have told him? As far as she knew, she didnt have any secrets. "Do you think I wouldnt?" lara questioned, smiling, "or maybe I might be nice and I'll just get more truth serum and ask politely. No torture needed then, right?"

The more she thought about it she more she didnt believe him, but she fact he told her one in return was the part that intriuged her most, if it were true. "What could you possibly have told me?"

"I was just joking earlier. You already know my secret, as does everyone else, because I'm not very good at keeping my own secrets. You told me that you were flattered when you read my book and that I was a good writer, so mine had to do with you. I told you that you inspired me, and they weren't half as good as the ought have been since I didn't know you at the time. They would be a lot better if I were to write them now. It was all very innocent, no worries. No skeletons."

"You didnt hold out long," he wasnt lying when he said he couldnt keep his secrets. Lara grinned then bit her lip "well I suppose your writing was good yes, I mean, It wasn't bad." It didnt matter she was teasing now, he already knew she really loved his writing. "Really? You should try, you should write one, now; since you know me."

She dared him, he practically set himself up in a trap, there was no way she wasn't going to ask him to create and write something about her on the spot. A playful smile tugged across his face as she admitted that he wasn't a horrible writer and practically dared him to write one about her at that moment. He tapped his bottom lip, watching her mischievously.

"Alright, but for a price. Think of it as a gift of inspiration..."

It was clear that he meant a kiss. He wondered if she would actually do it. He was also tickled to think that he had actually already kissed her, albeit on the forehead, and she had no idea. For some reason it really amused him. He felt a little bit like a puppet master, and he liked it. Lara shared the same playful smile.

"Oh who knew the only way Draco Malfoy could get a girl was through bribery."

"Harsh..." he retorted with a grin, knowing she was joking but enjoying the bit of banter.

It amused her, but then she realized he was serious. Lara looked to Draco then down at his lips, before slowly moving in and pressing hers against his. It was a soft kiss, but it packed a lot of emotions, ones she wasn't even aware she felt yet. She pulled back a little and smiled before going back in for a quick peck. She wasn't quite sure why, the one kiss would have done - it didn't matter now, what was done was done. Lara's kiss was softer than he expected. It was like a window into that girl that had curled beside him the other night. He could tell that she meant it, and he was absolutely delighted. More so when she gave him a second peck on the lips. He was absolutely entranced with her.

"Now make it worth my time," She expected something big now, something to blow her mind. Lara was also aware of the pressure Draco now had, it made her smile - well, it was his fault for bringing it up, he had to deliver.

Hmm... who was the puppet master now? Especially now that he owed her a poem worth her time. He took a breath and closed his eyes, sifting through the English language for particular words that captured what he liked about her. It would also be good if it provided some sort of window into his own mind. A tall order, indeed. It did take a fair amount of time, because he refused to speak any of it out loud until it sounded correct in his head. With no parchment to scratch out the words and keep the rest, it was a challenge. Sure, he could have summoned some, but he liked the challenge she presented him. He just hoped he could do her justice. Eventually it turned into some sort of story of how they met and what happened to them, as well as his own feelings towards her. He dashed in a little bit of symbolism and gave it his best shot. Lara let him think. She could never have written one line of a poem in a month, probably, let alone write a good chuck of one on the spot. His pondering took gave her the opportunity to delve into her own mind and try and work out what was going on. Her heart rate was up, it made her self conscious. She knew he liked her, in his mind if not anywhere else - but she never really thought into the possibility that she liked him back. Her train of thought was interrupted by Draco who had mustered up something, she truly couldn't wait to hear it.

"Little lady of justice, haunting the night with her sword and scale  
Her blue eyes glowing in the distance; justice is missing her veil  
I shine a flash of silver, a dagger to catch justice's eye  
She draws ever closer, justice is not shy

Once an enemy, darling justice is now my hostage on her knees  
Her sharp blue eyes are ever watching as they pierce at me  
I was the hostage all along, drawn like a moth to the flame  
Bound breathlessly to justice, she needs no chain

Once close enough to be swallowed whole, I see  
Neither justice nor I were ever free  
I wrap her eyes with fine white linen cloth  
For she is ever the flame, and I just the moth"

Draco waited on baited breath for her reaction. It wasn't quite a romantic poem, though that was what he had originally wanted to come up with. Instead he tried to express his own attraction for her as well as his desire to finally set justice as a whole right again and eventually work with actual justice, and the Ministry, once she was restored. Lara played the part of the leading lady in his short story, a role which he felt she very much deserved. He really did have talent. Lara could have explained how beautiful it was, and how thankful she was to hear it, but no words would do that justice, she would simply let him know the scale of his potential. "You're going to be famous one day. For the right reasons." Those reasons obviously being writing, not being a pawn for Lord Voldemort or the Ministries victim, no. Draco was going to find fame for doing something he honestly enjoyed and was very skilled at.

Lara smiled brightly, "Do you believe in yourself?" It was a heavy question but that wasn't intended, she was trying to keep it light still - but she hoped that if writing was a dream of his, and she couldn't see why not, he was brilliant, then he should go for it, no matter what was put in his way. "Your gift served you well, this time, I'll say you made it worth it." she ended by referring to where it began; with the kiss.

Draco smiled warmly at her, happy that she seemed to be pleased with what he had come up with. She looked to be deep in thought herself. When she asked if he believed in himself, he realized that indeed he did when it came to writing. He didn't always believe in himself, but they always sounded good to him. Getting rejected by the publisher had been a hard hit, but it was more about his name rather than his writing, so he couldn't take it too personally.

"I do believe in myself," Draco answered, feeling a sort of lurch in his heart, "It's easier because it's not just me. Any fool can proclaim they are good at something, but for others to agree... it convinces me that there is some truth to it. I'm glad it was worth it. I wonder if it might have been more than worth it... was it good enough to require a bit of a tip? May I kiss you, Lara?"

His heart was racing. He had been wanting to kiss her, really kiss her, since perhaps sometime in the bookshop. Even more so when he saw Kelley bouncing her on his knee... even more so when he stole a small innocent kiss on her forehead. It mirrored the hunger he had felt in the interrogation room. It was something he had dutifully denied himself until he had waited long enough to be respectful towards her. Now was as good a time as any. He dared to believe more than he ever had. Say yes he thought, as if he could bend her to his will with his thoughts alone.

Draco had a point, anyone could believe in themselves, but it took someone else to point out the talent to make it a reality. She was glad she could be that person.

Lara saw the look in his eyes, and she felt a flutter when he asked to kiss her, she never knew she wanted this - and this so badly until it was on the table. There was no part of her that didn't want to, but she was never one to give in right away, where was the fun in that?

She stood and broke away, "If you have to ask, you don't get." his hunger was mirrored, she knew he was only being respectful, as anyone should be. They were passed that now. There was a real sense of thrill swimming through Lara, and she wanted that rush to last, even if kissing Draco again was the only thing in her mind.

Heading to the door, "Maybe we should go ask if we're needed for anything?" .

His sharp eyes followed her to the door. The fight was not yet over. No, he would get one more strike in...

"Very well," he said softly, pulling himself off of the bed and following her to the door before he whispered in her ear, "I'll wait until you beg for a kiss, Lara. And then I will devour you."

He might be waiting a long time for her to ever ask him, perhaps forever, but the anticipation was half the thrill. As much as he enjoyed chasing her, he didn't want to force himself on her. He was sure that as soon as he was given the go ahead, he wouldn't be able to stop at just a simple kiss. That's why it was essential that she really wanted it. Otherwise it would be rather awkward. Even desperate. No, he needed to wait a bit longer. Draco was quite the opponent, she loved it. When he whispered in her ear it took everything inside her not to just give in there and then. It was such a quick attraction but it had been one hidden just below the surface.

"Alright off, to Kelley," he said sullenly, partly disappointed that he hadn't yet won her, and that the light mood was going to be ruined by more interrogation possibly.

He really had no idea. He liked his "alone" time. Just when he was enjoying himself... _He is playing along, Kelley it is_ , Lara thought. The two of them walked, they couldnt be so full of life like before, they were back in 'the real world' - knowing that made her mood an easy change. Walking down the hallway, he glanced around, his mood looking as if it was souring. Part of it was the mask he had been working on. No one could know that he enjoyed happy moments. He had to look irritated, dangerous... someone that shouldn't be messed with. Someone on the edge that just needed a little bit of a push to make him snap. And he did need to snap a few times to get the point across. He needed to bash a few friendly heads in along with the hostages to keep an invisible barrier of fear around him.


	13. Carrot

"Just the man I wanted to see!" Kelley exclaimed.

Kelley raised his hand for a high five. Draco humored him with a half-hearted high five. Kelley was sort of growing on him at this point. The man was half insane, but then again so was Draco. Could he really judge the man knowing his own state?

"Now, I want you to know I do listen, and you are right - civilians arent the problem, well, they wouldn't give me pleasure killing. They aren't important. I was wondering how we can tactfully use them against the Ministry. I mean, yeah, we kidnapped them but they can't be mad for long, can they?"

Kelley moved to Lara, "You arent still mad are you?"

She didn't quite know what to say to that, but at least she wasnt pressured with a serum to tell the truth.

"No, I'm not mad anymore. But I feel they won't be so understanding. They're scared, they're just people."

Lara was an auror. She knew about stuff like this, but apart from Voldemort they hadn't been exposed to anything this 'evil'. Kelley smiled, so she wasn't holding a grudge? He awaited Draco's opinion on their next step.

"You did listen," Draco replied, his brows raised in surprise, "Yes, I know exactly what we need to do. Sure, they can be mad at us, but we can spin it. Let me work with the first one, you observe the interaction, then you let me know how you think I handled it. We will still have a few more civilians to make some adjustments if we need to. Also, keep in mind that not everyone will react the same way."

He glanced back at Lara knowingly, "As for you, please pay attention to what I'm doing. If Kelley agrees, I'd like you to participate to the fullest extent with a prisoner of your own."

He looked back to Kelley, "Is this agreeable to you?"

Kelley was really impressed with Draco, especially the longer they knew each other.

"Deal. There's a woman, she's in a right state - it's kinda funny actually - show us what you got," Kelley said before he looked to Lara, "Oh yes, Lara is getting her own prisioner, this I'd love to see. Agreed. **Bring her in!** "

Lara didn't look enthusiastic, but she trusted Draco. If he suggested she too join in, surely there weren't any horrible methods. Jacob obeyed Kelley's orders. He was also keen to see Draco's plans. The woman to be brought in was half out of her wits in fear upon seeing the group. She recognized Kelley and Malfoy, but not the man who had brought her in or Lara. Mascara was running down her cheeks and her hands were shaking uncontrollably. When Jacob let her go, she backed into the wall, eyes wide with fear, before she sunk down to her knees, sobbing.

"Hush..." Draco cooed, drawing closer to her slowly.

"Stay away!" she shouted shrilly.

Draco continued, kneeling beside her, careful to keep a small bit of distance between them. He waited patiently for her to be the first to speak. It gave her a chance to calm down a little bit and have a little bit of control. It was heartbreaking to Lara, watching the woman come in, even worse knowing her miserable state brought joy to Kelley. Lara watched but found herself edging forward slightly as the woman stayed uneasy with Draco. She observed him, he was gentle, it was something she didn't think Draco would want Kelley seeing, but it also proved effective.

"W-Why are you doing this to us?" she breathed.

"The Ministry was about to attack us in a large crowd of innocent bystanders. We attempted to stop it by capturing them before anyone got hurt. Unfortunately you were caught in the middle," he explained slowly, "The magical community is on the brink of another war... a rebellion. The Ministry refuses to have an open dialogue, so this is the only way we can get their attention."

"W-what?..." the woman breathed, all of this clearly over her head.

"Your Ministry isn't protecting everyone like they should. There is a problem when the average citizen should be afraid of the Ministry. They should be supporting us, not ruling over us with fear."

The woman listened silently, not looking convinced or particularly willing to argue. The things he was feeding the terrified girl were borderline offensive to Lara. She might not have agreed with the Ministry, but she worked for them - cutting up them was essentially cutting up her. She was careful to listen to his every word. The Ministry wouldn't have had to attacked if they weren't under threat. She kept that thought to herself though, this was a good thing, he was being smart.

"We made a mistake. We are letting you go," Draco told her.

"M-My friend works in the Ministry!" she protested, filled with fear, "Will she be okay?"

"What is your friend's name?" Draco asked softly, taking a small notepad and quill out of his jacket pocket.

"Sara... Hale..." the woman answered quietly.

"And your name?" he asked, writing her friend's name down and putting his notepad away.

"Rebecca Foster."

"Rebecca," he said grabbing her shaking hands in his own, keeping eye contact with her, "I will _personally_ make sure that your friend Sara Hale will not be harmed."

For a brief moment there appeared to be a silent connection between the two of them. A clever person would have realized that there was a little bit of occlumency involved. Lara bit her tongue, she couldn't interfere. She kept thinking that the woman shouldn't have given her name, or her friends. Lara still didn't trust Kelley, she now expected him to target her friend first, it was the only mistake she thought Draco made, unless he followed through and managed to get Kelley to keep to the promise he made to Rebecca.

"Are you doing this because you hate us?" Rebecca asked softly, unable to look away from him.

"I'm doing this because I love the magical community so much that I don't want to see it corrupted. I was wrong before... I was acquitted. Now I'm trying to repay some of the debt I owe to society. I'm in a convenient position to already be rather outcasted. I have nothing to lose," he explained.

 _I have nothing to lose._ Kelley begged to differ, his eyes drifted to Lara. He then crossed his arms, frowning but also okay with what was happening.

"And you will really let me go...?" she asked, tears welling.

"Absolutely," he answered, "Let's go... I'll escort you. Let's find your wand..."

He helped the woman up, supporting her as they walked out of the room and to where the wands were held, helping her pick out hers and escorted her through the noisy club before parting with her just outside the club. He returned and leaned against the wall a bit, looking to Kelley, Lara, and Jacob.

"So the point is that she starts to question the Ministry, even a little bit, and she knows we let her go without harming her. She is also aware of a sort of war going on. And it's important that she knows that we believe in our own cause. She doesn't have to believe it. But you can bet she will tell her friends and the word will spread that a rebellion is starting. It will make people think."

"Where's the fun in that?" He questioned once Draco entered the room again, after seeing it for himself, he knew this plan was genius, it just wasn't his usual way of doing things, and he wasn't wanting to change his methods.

"He did good." Lara stepped in, "It doesn't matter if it's fun or not, it's the right thing to do, so long as you don't start a panic that is." She looked to Jacob for that part; Lara may be on Draco's side and trying to please Kelley, but he wasn't part of the deal and her faith in his was little.

Now she wanted a go, if she was going to participate in anything it would be this, and she was an Auror, she wouldn't be initially frightened off by her.

Kelley nodded, Jacob brought another one in; this time it was a man, looked in his 50's, he was white with fear, but he had quite the mouth on him which she soon discovered.

Lara walked towards him, he knew her kind.

"I have a family! Why am I here?!" His tone was desperate and firm, but his body language was calm; maybe it was exhaustion or maybe it was a hex.

"It's okay," She smiled, "It's okay, you're safe now. and you're getting out of here, we're letting you go." Though she didn't want to be associated with them, she was part of their group now, but at least she was doing something good. Lara felt to ease him quicker she'd have to tell him he was getting home soon.

"You were taken by accident, these things happen," His eyes bulged, and bent down to be at his level. It was something she did when she wanted animals to be comfortable with her too, they weren't intimidated as much if they weren't tiny in comparison.

Nathan was impressed she was cooperating, but she wasn't going as far as Draco, where the wands were kept, he'd send someone else with her, but there was no way Lara was going to get her wand back, not that easily - and he didn't trust her because of what she said, so she would only go so far with the man. Jacob tilted his head as he watched Lara crouched over.

Lara didn't know what to say next, her words were muddled in her mind because she was not going to insult the Ministry, but she had to say something. "There's a rebellion, starting and it so happens to involve the Ministry. They aren't being particularly honest..this was a was a sort of wake up call, some of the Ministry workers were taken and this was to get their attention, to actually DO something about the issues." The man couldn't understand what she was saying.

"But you're an Auror," She nodded,

"I know."

It must have been bad if even those who were in the Ministry were warning citizens. He nodded frantically. She got it done fast, thankfully he wasn't in that bad a state. "You did this!" He spat, "Kelley," He was famous through fear, everyone knew Nathan, it wasn't something they could escape.

"Back off!" Lara countered, but this was not for Kelley's benefit, she was trying to save the man - Kelley given any excuse to torture or kill, he would. The man huffed, knowing that Lara standing up and offering a hand to the door meant he could leave, he couldn't ruin that now.

They headed for the exit but Jacob took a hold of Lara's arm, she looked to Kelley. "He goes, you stay." and he nodded for Jacob to let go, Louis stood by the door and Jacob told him the plan. "He'll escort you out, and to your wand." The distaste of his words didn't go unnoticed but it didn't matter - at least he was getting to go home to his family.

"Nice job, good to know you protect me now," Kelley's grin was wide, but she didn't bite, she had just done something to make him proud she wasn't going to ruin it by being rude. Lara looked to Draco, "I'm sure he's proud too." and Jacob had a chuckle. She gave them a harsh look.

"You get the hang of it though? No pain, not physical, not even emotional,"

"Rich coming from you."

Kelley silenced Jacob, "Both of you, well done. This plan, might actually work."

Draco was silent throughout Lara's interrogation, standing beside Kelley and watching as she went through a similar strategy. She made it very clear that she was still on the side of the Ministry in his opinion though. Oh well. He supposed she wouldn't change over night. Besides that, she executed his plan flawlessly.

"Good job, Lara," he said at length, still looking thoughtful.

Something had struck him during the brief banter between Jacob and Lara. If he was to take any type of leadership position, he couldn't just hover over Lara and neglect the others. Clearly Lara was his favorite, but he needed to step up and provide them some direction.

"Jacob, I'd like you to help Lara sort through the rest," he directed before turning to Kelley, "I need to talk with you."

"Talk away," Kelley allowed boldly.

There was just something about Draco when in the company of Kelley which made him asshole in Lara's opinion. Work with the person who took her here in the first place? She wasnt going to let that go. Lara obliged though, and Jacob too - just neither of them were happy about doing so. Draco kept his voice low, not necessarily to not include Lara or Jacob, but to allow them both not to be distracted from the task at hand while he talked bigger picture strategy with Kelley, who also deserved more of Draco's attention than he had been giving the man. It was time for him to start treating the group like a team and less like it was he and Lara against them all.

"Letting out all of these civilians is going to help us in the long run, but in the short run, I'd expect a bit of backlash from the Ministry. They probably already know of the club, but the moment they hear people talking about any sort of rebellion, you can bet they will come down on this place pretty hard. What type of security do we have here? Is there anything I can help you with on that side of things? I just want to make sure we are prepared."

They hardly meeded security, their reputation did most the deterrent, but Draco was right. "We have men every post, a few protection spells but granted they arent great, we will improve." he thought about it, genuinely treating him as his right hand man. "When they attack, because they will, its the Ministry - what do we do? We have the right to kill them, or do you need more ministry workers, do you think them beingg hostage is key?"

"I don't see why we can't kill them if they are trying to kill us... hesitation could mean we lose people on our side..." Draco muttered, deep in thought.

Finally Kelley and Draco were on the same side. Finally he'd get to do some killing, some REAL damage as his version of justice. Now they were making progress in his eyes; the Ministry wouldn't know what's hit them.

"I had hoped to use Lara to help bring down the Ministry from the inside, but after extensive observation, I don't think it would be a good idea. I think we are lucky that she is cooperating to this extent, and of course I'll keep working with her, but I don't think she sees any benefit in it for her if we bring down the Ministry. I'm going to try to learn a bit more about her situation before she came here and maybe get a bit of buy in from her. This exercise was a big step - it wasn't about her, but including her was important, I think. If you ever have any suggestions on anything that might make her a little more enthusiastic, I'm all ears. Of course, she's my responsibility, but I wanted to let you know that I'm open to your ideas too. I think we make a good team."

He continued to watch as Jacob and Lara went through the rest of the hostages that were civilians. To his recollection, that left one auror still in the interrogation room. He figured that person ought to be saved for another day, but he didn't express his opinion out loud.

"I see what you mean. Perhaps you can convince her somehow, of our cause. Lie, manipulate, nothing extreme you still want to be ok her good side and 'mind entact' blah blah, but we do need her to find a reason here." he said seriously, beginning to wonder if Lara was a waste, "enthusiastic? Get her to drink know what I mean?" he winked and tapped the end of his nose with his finger.

The suggestion to drug Lara again was very obvious and a little bit comical, but not an escorted people to their wands and out the door, Lara took care of keeping them calm and making sure they understood that a war was going to break out in time.

"So, what now?" Jacob asked Kelley, also looking to Draco for an answer - they were more of a team than ever at the moment.

"Nothing yet. Go check on the men at the walls, let them know to be on lookout, while we think of more protection." Lara frowned, he was on about the Ministry.

"They'll know I've gone missing. And the other auror."

"Do you think you're not disposable? That they'd risk eveything to get you back?" Kelley laughed. The Ministry didn't give a shit.

"Dan would." she argued.

As things wrapped up, Draco's attention turned to Lara, who was arguing with Kelley about whether she would be missed by the Ministry. His eyes narrowed when she mentioned Dan, a flash of jealousy briefly being revealed.

"OoOoh Dan," Kelley laughed.

"If he does come he is NOT to be harmed. He is like me, we work for the Ministry but we dont agree with them, he's his own person, not a puppet in their cruel play." Lara looked to Draco, she had no authority here but he did, "you promise me like you did that other girl, he wont be a threat if you dont give him a reason to be."

"Who is Dan?" Draco shot a little too sharply.

What? Spare this Dan guy?! Because he is _different_? Draco looked outraged at first, but quickly quelled it.

"If you..." Draco started but then stopped himself, suddenly not looking so sure of himself. Whatever idea he had just got scratched. Damnit.

"There's bound to be more Dans," Draco sighed, looking to Kelley, "People like Lara and Rebecca will notice if we kill indiscriminately and then we will end up fighting citizens even after we take the Ministry. Besides... damnit. **Damnit!** This is going to be so _damn_ tedious. And risky. Lara, I have enough on my plate right now. _You_ figure out how we are going to quietly take Ministry workers when they come in with wands raised, while I check the club for people that might not be trained to defend themselves and at least stun an intruder. That means you are still coming with me, but occupy your mind with some methods to protect Dan, if you please."

Lara frowned at Draco, "Dan is my partner, what's it to _you_ anyway?! I only want him spared what is that, a crime?" It was weird how one minute she felt she was crazy about him the next she couldn't stand was all getting out of hand, they were planning a war. 'enough on his plate' yeah, right. "No! I don't have any reason to do that and you're not the boss of me!"

Kelley smiled to himself, but he wasn't pleased.

"See?" He spoke to Draco, motioning Lara up and down, she was going to be a huge problem unless she had a reason to fight and be on their side, otherwise she was an enemy in their eyes and Kelley was not going to tolerate that. He knew he had no chance or getting her to commit, but Draco had at least a shot at making her realize this is her fight too.

"See what?" Lara retorted, fuming. "I'll think of ways to protect anyone I please, thank you very much."

He wasn't sure what to think about Lara. Kelley was right. She was dangerous and needed to be put in her place once and for all without being broken.

"Lara, I _am_ your boss. I said I'd spare him, so back off. Do what you want with your time. I'm not hovering over you anymore. Don't start any trouble and you won't find yourself in trouble. You can join me or go blow off some steam. Your choice. I don't have any patience left to fight with you."

He turned to Kelley, "Wouldn't it be interesting if the strippers and bar tenders had a bit of a surprise for our guests? They'll be seen as innocent bystanders at first, but then they can catch them off guard? Either way, I'm not going to let them be sitting ducks if we get raided."

Lara was a piece of work, but Kelley tried to focus on Draco's plan. The unexpected surprise attack, he liked it. Draco did seem to be getting overworked though.

"They shouldn't strike right away, go rest your brain - we've got a plan now all we need to do is reinforce it, we can do that tomorrow if you'd rather?" Kelley's new found respect for Draco was making Lara sick.

"Alright," Draco agreed, thinking he was starting to wear himself a little bit thin, "Tomorrow, I'll train them up. I'm going to get a bit of rest. Today's been... tiring to say the least."

He had killed a man, been through excruciating interrogation, and was emotionally drained over the woman he had to talk off of a mental cliff, plus Lara's partner added to the mix. And to top it off, a threat on the horizon. He was glad that Kelley seemed to be watching out for him. At least someone was. Draco was done. He walked out of the room, letting Lara fend for herself for once, and found room 4A, crashed on the bed, and forcibly removed all of the thoughts from his head to enjoy a bit a peace and quiet and recharge.


	14. Dan's Plan

_Author note: Thank you for the review! I am so glad you like the way I portray Draco (it's very different lol) and I will relay your comment about Lara to her creator :) She will be happy to hear it!_

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Dan had been sitting in a meeting all day. Lara had never returned, and to make matters worse word had gotten out that she might have been one of the people captured at the incident in Diagon Alley. He had been a bit of a nervous wreck until the news finally came that he would be one of the ones on a team to go rescue her at the club. Word hadn't reached the Ministry about anyone being released yet, but a few of Kelley's goons had been recognized in the street before they escaped, and they had captured one of them. The theory was that Draco was now working for Kelley.

"Look," Dan said to the other senior aurors (he wasn't their rank, but he had their respect and the same experience), "The club is a public location. If we go in wands blazing, innocents are bound to get caught in the crossfire. Lara is my partner, and I'd like to see if I can do some undercover work to retrieve her."

The other aurors looked at him, not sure what to say until one spoke up, "And the other hostages."

"If I can free her, she can help me free the others, I'm sure of it. She's very good."

"Well, we won't be stopping you..." one of them replied.

"You have to promise to hold off until I get her out safely..." Dan pressed.

"Well we don't want them killing the hostages. It's not like we have a choice," another suggested.

"Sure," a third replied, "Go for it Dan. Gives us time to plan anyway. If you can't get her out within a week, we're going to assume you got captured too, and we'll plan without you."

"That's more than reasonable," Dan said firmly.

With that, Dan apparated to the club. He wasn't a particularly well known auror due to his pretty lousy career, but it was possible someone might have recognized him. Either way, he wasn't going to worry too much about it. As long as he looked like a patron and not someone ready to blow the place up, he figured it'd be alright. That was how he tended to do things. He was always winging it. He strode in confidently and sat down in one of the chairs, getting a feel for the club and the people around it. He kept an eye out for Lara, first looking to the poles (relieved when he didn't see her among the girls) but otherwise he stayed put. He would figure out what was going on soon enough.

Lara never saw it coming, he was angry with her and he was downright rude. She waited until he left before speaking, but he was a victim of her harsh looks. "Arrogant prick!" Lara kicked the wall, fully imagining Draco's face on it. Even though Kelley found it amusing, Draco needed her on his side, she either needed to learn to control her temper or Draco needed to find a way to control him herself. She stormed out the room, no idea of where to go except the only place she had actually walked to other than her room and interrogation, the main hall. Unfortunately that's where most of them occupied themselves, but she was too mad to care, and she certainly wasn't going after Draco. He has no authority over her and she wasn't for a second going to let him think he did.

"Water please."

Despite being polite, her tone didn't convey her message to the bartender. The man looked at her strangely then picked up some powder.

"Just, regular water."

He assumed there had to be something more; nobody ever asked for plain water, but each to their own. Lara didn't even want to turn around, facing the bar was being in the room without feeling like she was actually in the room, but at the same time, she found herself trying to find a distraction from her mind. When she did turn around it took her a minute to realize Dan was sitting down across from her. Had they seriously found him that easily and brought him here?! Surely not. He wasn't tied away... She abandoned her drink and hurried over to him, her face conveying so many different emotions.

"Are you really here? I don't get it.. and you hurt? were you taken? Is the Ministry striking already?!" Lara was frantic and out of breath. It was too much to take it; she was worried for him. "If they catch you..-I just," She joined him, "it's so good to see you. A friendly face."

The only thing she was wary of was polyjuice potion, never had she ever imagined he would be at the club, let alone in the centre of it, "Are you under cover?" She threw him so many questions, but she couldn't take a chance, this was dangerous, even for someone as capable as him.

Dan gave an easy smile to Lara, "Hello beautiful!" he greeted out loud, lest anyone think he knew her.

The 'Hello beautiful' was a wake up call, everyone knew her, they knew she hated everyone - so she had to tone down and not look happy to see Dan. She cleared her throat and listened. She couldn't have been more thankful, a week, maybe, that was the most anyone would be able to get out of him, so she was proud and not at all surprised. Once she was close enough in range, he was finally able to speak his mind, keeping his voice low and his expression very easy and casual. As long as he looked like he belonged here, he didn't feel like he was in any danger. Unless someone recognized him, which wasn't very likely in his opinion.

"Yeah, it's me. Don't worry, I came out of my own accord. I bought you some time. You've got a week before they go, though that was a promise to me, so they could change their mind. It's good to see you too. You haven't been hurt it looks like... at least I hope not?"

"No, nothing to worry about." She hadn't been hurt, tied up and then drugged, but nothing HUGE in comparison. "I'm not being held as such, just not allowed to leave, or have my wand, and I'm monitored but not at the moment." Lara took a breath. "Draco has been monitoring me and we had a disagreement." Her face conveyed her anger. "For once we're separated."

"I'm just here to get a feel for the place and think of a way to get you out. I'm surprised... you aren't being held or monitored? You must have been utilizing a lot of your training. I'm proud of you. So fill me in, how can I get you out of here with the hostages and as little fuss as possible? Also... what is the deal with Malfoy joining up with Kelley? I mean I expected him to be one of Kelley's men out of desperation, but certainly not given the freedom to make any offensive moves."

Her face gentled, it was nice knowing he was proud of her, some positive reinforcement from someone she trusted would always go far.

"I don't think I can leave but the hostages, Draco let them go. Told them there was a rebellion on it's way and not to trust the Ministry. Kelley fixed Draco up, after being attacked, took him under his wing and now the rule together. It's disgusting." She didn't want to tell Dan he had already killed a man, bt she didn't want to hold anything back either. "There's one Auror here, also taken, I dread to think what they're going to do to them but it can't be good. They're planning for a war this world can't afford, not again. I don't know what we can do, I really don't. There will be no stopping it, and if we don't pick sides we're dead before it even starts."

"You're right. A war would be devastating. And I'm concerned about Malfoy being manipulated by Kelley. It's already happened once, and I'd hate to see it happen again. I was there for his trial after the war. He's making his own choices now, though... But there's some hope if he has let some hostages go... I'm not convinced that he's completely lost. Maybe just wanting to carpet bomb the Ministry rather than take out his frustration with the system rationally. Maybe an influence of Kelley."

Dan seemed to be working it out through his head, using his experience on the field to guide his judgement.

"How close is Malfoy to Kelley? Do you think you could find out? Do you think if he was given the opportunity to get off free, he'd abandon him?"

"The two of them are getting quite close now, they're using each other. Kelley needs Draco's mind and tactics, and Draco needs Kelley's 'army', I'm assuming. Draco isn't bad guy he just doesn't..he wants..he needs revenge of those who tortured his mind, who killed without trial; Kelley is his ticket to doing that I'm not sure if Draco would abandon him, not so long as they share the same goal."

Lara too had to think a lot, to find her answer, and even then she wasn't sure it was the right one. "Draco is a good man, I can see that, even you know there's good in him it's just here, there's no room for that. Unless we can promise Draco his revenge on the Ministry without the help of Kelley, I don't see him abandoning him. He may not be sentenced to Azkaban, but he does want vengeance." It was a lot to try and work out.

"I could always ask Draco if he would, given the opportunity, leave, but I don't know if I can trust him. He said he had my best interests at heart but these are his stakes and also, he's changing, and not in our favor either. He needs to see the good in himself, but he also needs his closure so I don't see a way out of this." Perhaps she was being close minded, but she was trying, unfortunately she was just drained and her brain was incapable of focusing on something enough to try work out how they could save him.

Dan looked a little bit more optimistic after she explained the situation in greater detail. He was starting to come up with a bit of a plan, but there were still a few loose strings he needed help with.

"I think I could promise Malfoy his revenge and an escape from Kelley if I could just find a way to talk to him alone without turning into mincemeat. If I can turn him, we can defuse the entire situation. If he is able to be convinced, I _know_ I can do it. I just need the opportunity..."

"How could you promise him his revenge? If you let him kill some Ministry workers that's treason and you'll die too!" Lara's hands were on her head, she was feeling the pressure. "Okay, okay." She trusted Dan more than anyone, and he was excellent at his job so she knew if he knew he could do it, then he could.

Lara sighed. "Kelley knows Draco and I are mad at one another, so he'll be more than happen to let us argue it out, he shouldn't come near our room." She froze a second, 'our' being a mistaken word of use. "If I take you to him now..you'll be ready? Draco is in a bad mood and he'll be armed, make sure you keep your wand - since I don't have mine I can't help if things turn ugly but please, be careful. If you do what you say you can do, then it should be alright."

She stood, the quicker Dan got this resolved the better, for everyone involved.

"Yes, this is as good an opportunity as any. I'll be in and out. As long as Malfoy doesn't sound the alarm... and if he tries, I happen to be pretty good with the confundus charm. Don't worry. I've dealt with worse people than Malfoy. I've got this..."

Dan stood up and followed Lara, careful to look very casual and cheerful, like he might have been following an escort to her room rather than a close friend.

Lara gave a short laugh, "I have faith in you." and she led him back to the room Draco was given and she so happened to be thrown in with him. She paused before opening the door, he didn't deserve a knock. Childish maybe, but she was still mad. Lara was treated a way she never thought he out of all people would, but it showed her a different side of him and gave her even more motivation to save every ounce of good inside.

"Draco, we need to talk." She entered first and made sure Dan was behind her, if Draco got mad he certainly wouldn't try anything with her in the way, or so she hoped. "This is Dan, my partner. Listen to what he has to say before you call Kelley or do anything; _please_." It took a lot for her to be as pleasant as she could with him, especially begging - at this moment she felt he didn't deserve any of it.

Draco groaned, rolling over from his back to his side, glancing at Lara before the words finally struck him. He narrowed his eyes, but got up from the bed and gave the man his attention as Lara had asked him, careful to keep his distance.

"Please give us the room, Lara," Dan asked gently before entering and sitting down in a chair across from the bed, looking like anything but a threat to Draco.

Lara nodded, she trusted Dan and she still had faith in Draco, she waited outside the door, pacing to try keep herself busy.

"I'm sorry."

The words stunned Draco so much that he was unaware of himself taking a single step back away from Dan.

"What are you sorry for?" Draco pressed darkly, his voice firm and unforgiving.

"Everything. I knew what they were doing to you. I wasn't directly involved because I knew too much about it. Instead, they partnered me with Lara who showed some aptitude in the skills they were looking for, though I had to keep her in the dark. And then the incident with the vigilantes... I wasn't there, but I heard about it. I knew something like that would eventually happen."

"And you did nothing..." Draco continued darkly, his eyes sharpening as if he were about to go in for the kill.

"Actually, I put my career on the line for people like you. I haven't been promoted in ten years because I wouldnâ€™t play along. I didn't want Lara going through what I did, so I also wanted to keep her in the dark about what they were doing to you. Please don't blame her."

Something wasn't right. Draco's body language might have been complying, but his expression was betraying some of the cracks beginning to form.

"I don't blame her," Draco said very quietly, "But you know who was responsible?"

"I do, and I'll even write up everything I know for you."

"Why?" Draco asked, his voice growing smaller and his eyes growing more terrified the longer he spoke to Dan.

"You deserve to know. You deserve to get your revenge," Dan answered.

Draco wasn't sure if Dan was setting him up or manipulating him, but something didn't seem right. His instincts were screaming at him to run. It wasn't safe.

"I already killed four people... I don't deserve anything," Draco corrected, hoping this might shock Dan into taking it back.

"You defended yourself against three people who attacked you. I know the law and they can't lock you up for it. Who was the fourth?" he asked.

"Morton."

"He was a corrupt prosecutor who was as much your enemy as any of the other names I would have given you. You were right to feel betrayed. I felt betrayed by him too. And you wouldn't have done it if you weren't Kelley's prisoner right?" Dan asked.

"I wanted to.. I wanted him dead. It was me," Draco argued.

"Draco, I can get you out of this. This is defendable in a trial. We can clear your name. You are the only person that can defuse this situation. If you take down Kelley, the rest of the group crumbles. I will personally defend you, tooth and nail!"

That was the last straw. Whatever defenses Draco had were completely shattered at that point. He briskly walked away from Dan and out of the room, willing himself not to run.

"Draco, come back!" Dan shouted.

Shakily, he closed the door behind him, his heart racing. Somehow Dan had been penetrating his mind... Draco felt sick. He looked to Lara, his face practically green he was so nauseous.

"I'm done. I don't want to see your partner again... I... If you need him for emotional support or whatever... I trust you. I just don't want him around me. Please get him out of the room. I... I need a drink or something..."

It didn't take as long as she suspected, but then she realized something was up when Draco came out looking ill. "Wha-Why-Oh," Lara spoke, paying deep attention to Draco, "Okay, okay I'll make him leave." and she watched him leave.

She entered the room. "What did you do he looks like he's going to throw up?!" Her head couldn't get around it. "Did you say anything wrong, did you two argue?! You can't be here when he gets back so you have to be quick.." Lara just couldn't understand, Dan had it under control she believed that, what made Draco so ill?

Draco walked down the hallway, feeling as if pieces of him were crumbling and trailing behind him. He found the closest bathroom and locked the door behind him. Shakily, he turned on the faucet to the sink and let the water run noisily as he stared at the stranger looking back at him through the mirror. That person looked so weak... Within moments, he broke down, his sobs drowned out by the sound of the running water.

Dan sighed, standing up from the chair. It could have certainly gone worse, but it wasn't exactly what he was hoping for either.

"Eh, he caught on, I think..." Dan shrugged.

Lara frowned. " 'He caught on'? to what exactly?" She was beginning to wonder if leaving them alone in the room was a mistake." To me it didn't seem like you got anywhere but making him ill." In her own mind questioning whether Dan was up to something behind her back or not - since entering the place her trust in people was really tested.

"Either way, he knows the deal is on the table. I'd say give him some space to think about it, but if I had just a few more moments with him, I think I could have completely turned him. He was literally that close. I must have said something to upset him. Maybe mentioning the trial. What did he say to you?"

Dan started walking with Lara out of the room to be sure he didn't get her into any trouble. In the back of his mind, he thought it was curious that she said he couldn't be there when Draco got back... It must have meant Draco told her that, but he wanted to know for sure. It would help him with his next move.

"Nothing..just he didn't want you to be in the room, he doesn't seem to like you very much." The two of them walked down the hallway. "You're going to have to trust I can handle this, up until this point I've managed and if you think he will be thinking about it and considering I won't have to do too much convincing, will I?"

"No, I agree with you Lara, and you're really doing a great job. He doesn't like me because I was getting too close. I trust that you can handle it from here, but what I was trying to say was that it might not be a good idea letting him sort it out on his own... I don't know how to explain it. My presence made him uncomfortable because I was a person from the Ministry taking him seriously and giving him an out. I just stripped any reason for him to hate me... which is why he doesn't like me. He doesn't like that I tore down all of his excuses to do the right thing. So keep at it. He's basically built a wall around himself that allows him to comfortably observe what he is doing without being responsible. Like when someone says 'well, I'm a bad guy, so I do x,y,z.' Rather than take any ownership of it. He feels guilty for the three people that attacked him and basically threw his hands up saying, 'too late for me. I'm already damned. Might as well take down the rest of the people that wronged me.' Get it? He needs someone keeping him human and accountable. Don't let him forget it."

When the reached the club, Dan scratched his neck awkwardly, "I think I should high tail it out of here..."

She listened closely, Dan was making perfect sense and she could see it now. Draco didn't hate him because he was a threat, he disliked Dan because of the opposite. Lara had promised Draco she would help him, keep him on the right path and she was going to keep to that, she had to. He lost hope in himself, but she hadn't, so she was going to do Dan proud, herself proud and hopefully in time Draco proud, and she was going to save him.

"Thank you," Lara couldn't hug him, not in here, he was leaving sure, but he was still pretending to be someone else. "See you soon. Your help and comfort has been much appreciated." She smiled and turned away, she needed to see how Draco was doing; so she headed back and to the direction she saw him go in.


	15. Happiness

Hey guys! Thanks for the follows/reviews! I'm still working on editing chapters as I add new content. I do some initial spell checking and editing when I first upload a new chapter, but I usually find grammar/typos afterwards and I have to make a few more updates as I find issues. Thanks for being patient with me :)

* * *

"Draco?" Lara called, calmer than before. "Draco it's only me." and she heard water. She feared he was drowning himself, though logically he was probably cooling down or throwing up. She knocked on the door and tried the handle, then reached for her wand to unlock it, but that plan was doomed. "It's Lara. How you feeling?" She wasn't even sure it was him, but if it was he probably wasn't going to let her in, so she slid her back down the door and got comfy on the floor. She was there if he needed her, even just for silent support.

Draco was still shaking as the water ran, but his sobs had finally dissipated. He was finally beginning to calm down when he heard a voice at the door. It was Lara. She must have gotten rid of... he didn't even want to think of the man's name. Just... the auror. He sighed shakily and turned the water off, careful to check that his eyes didn't look too red. They did. He turned it on again and splashed his face with more water before carefully opening the door, noticing Lara sitting on the other side.

"I'm feeling a little bit better," he said numbly before slowly exiting the bathroom, "I-I'm just going to lie down again... I didn't get much rest... earlier... He's gone right?"

His head was swimming and it was hard for him to speak without stumbling over his own words. He couldn't let Kelley see him like this. Somehow... he needed to build back the mask he had been working on that had been crushed into a thousand pieces by that... man... he who shall not be mentioned... The sooner it was built, the sooner he could return to normal. And Lara was probably still a bit miffed at him. He could use that to his advantage and maybe prod her a little bit more just to keep a bit of distance from her. She was touchy about her precious partner... though... he didn't even want to go there... nor the Ministry. The damn man didn't give him many options. And is brain was completely shot with everything he had been through that day. He had no ammunition left to guard his space.

She heard the water turn off and soon the door opened, she didn't get the chance to stand up until he was passed her. He didn't look any better, he was a state. "Yeah he's gone." and she was on her feet again, pondering on her next question "Do you want company?" she didn't mean to sit up and chat, it would be good for him to get rest, she just needed him to not feel alone, and for that to be reinforced she had to be there physically.

Lara was still mad at Draco but there were more important issues, she had to try her best for once to not give in to the anger, to be less sensitive and to focus her attention on making sure he was okay. It would be hard, but it was necessary. He was broken and he needed to be fixed; she was more than willing to be the one to try.

He pondered her offer to accompany him. He didn't want to throw her kindness back in her face, but he wasn't sure that he could recover with interference... though... she usually gave him his space. She would probably be silent. He had to get her on their side, so might as well accept her offer.

"Sure, but don't feel obligated," he said quietly, any emotion disappearing behind his dull grey eyes, "Like I said, if you need to blow off steam or whatever... don't let me stop you. I'm not trying to smother you..."

Draco left it up to her as to whether she wanted to follow him or not before he started to regret giving her the option the moment he entered the room. Even though her partner had left, it still felt like he was there for whatever reason... watching him... judging him... He went into bed, burying himself under the thick layers of blankets, giving himself a physical barrier from the rest of the room that comforted him a little bit mentally. He closed his eyes and began to drift off, too tired to try to fix what was broken for the time being.

This was serious. Lara saw the color leave his eyes and she knew it was going to be tough, but she told him there was nothing he could throw her way that she couldn't handle and she was keeping to that. "I'll blow off some steam another time." Though she didn't follow him right away, she entered the room when she was sure he was already asleep, he didn't need her watching him when he needed to rest. She soon joined and sat on the seat in the corner of the plain room until she too, fell asleep.

* * *

"Shit!" Lara woke, her hand going immediately to her head. Silly her fell off the chair as she slept and she was almost sure it would have woken Draco.

The noise woke Draco up some time after he had fallen asleep. He lifted the covers from over his head and glanced across the room at Lara. He still had the same dull look in his eyes, but otherwise he looked considerably better and well rested.

She blinked a good few times to waken properly and got herself up. "Sorry I didn't know where else to go." She felt like maybe Draco was disappointed she followed, but in reality, what option did she have? Many still weren't happy she was let off the hook and she never had a room, she was just put in with him, and she couldn't leave either so there wasn't a choice at all.

"Good sleep?"

"I understand," he said quietly, "I'll look into them getting you your own room. You shouldn't have to sleep in a chair. Yeah I had a good sleep. Very peaceful in a way..."

It had been very empty. Everything felt empty. He felt empty inside too.

"I didnt have to sleep in the chair, I just felt you needed the bed to yourself, I gave you space." She felt better knowing he slept better, a new day maybe thats what he needed.

"Ah I see," Draco said numbly, realizing at once what the confusion was, but not willing to comment on it, "In that case I'll leave the sleeping arrangements to you. Whatever you want, Lara."

"I'm just going to stay in... I'm not ready to see Kelley yet although... maybe that's what I need. Some kind of pick me up. I don't usually drink but I think it would help."

He was already feeling numb, but he wanted to feel even more numb while he healed. He wasn't sure how Kelley would react to him in this state, but he sort of missed the man. He never would have expected to think that. But Kelley accepted him despite all the problems. And Kelley didn't see them as problems. A few drinks and Draco could hide everything. It would be as if nothing happened. He took a shaky breath and stood up from the bed, stretching a bit before heading for the door.

"I'm going to go into the club for drinks instead. Want to join me?"

It was a bit of an olive branch. He wasn't sure if she was interested, especially after last time. But it was worth the offer.

Draco said he needed a pick me up, and Lara's mind went back to what made her happy recently, and that was kissing him. Unfortunately it may not be the good move now.

"I'll join." same reason as before, she had nowhere else to go. "But i'll sit away from you. Not really joining then I guess but.. Maybe you need more time." she followed him to the door.

"Just..dont shut me out, please." her voice was quiet, trying not to trigger a headache on his part. Lara could use a drink too. "That's all I ask." she wasnt so mad at him now, he wasnt in his right mind, she repected that. "Unless you would rather I stay in here," Lara wasnt telling him he was the boss, but he did want him to feel safe and in control of what effected him,

He was already shutting her out and she knew it. But she was shutting him out too. He felt so incredibly alone and it was as if she was twisting the dagger in his side.

"I'm trying not to..." he said quietly, sighing, "At least not permanently. When you want to be let in, just ask. I'll make some room."

She just couldnt understand Draco's logic and her inability to not very angry or upset wasn't helping. He shouldnt have to make some room, that implied she was a burden he would cope with when he needed to.

Back to being vague, was he? He hated himself for it. He made his way to the bar and asked for three shots of vodka, downing each of them quickly in succession before asking for three more. Whatever he did was done to the extreme. There never seemed to be any middle ground. After the next three he grabbed one of the girls that had been working who was walking his way.

Lara got herself a quiet place, this hour wasnt too busy, besides most people were occupied. It was peaceful, ironically. She only had one drink, so she was still in her frame of mind, but Draco wasnt.

"Make me happy," he muttered apathetically.

"What?" the girl laughed with a nervous smile.

She wanted to go over and see properly what was happening, but she was going to give him the benefit of the doubt, that was until she saw the anxiety on the girls face. Lara made her way over and slapped his hands off her.

"Stop this! Stop it! This isnt you; this is Kelley. You need to man up, sober up and take control back." she was mad, he was being a fool. "Youre not like them!" if he wasnt going to listen by choice she would make him. "This is bullshit." she picked up one of his shots and drunk it herself, it wouldnt effect her like it would him in his state, besides god forbid she break anything in that bar, she'd get tortured in a second for lack of respect.

Draco looked crushed and felt even more cornered. He sighed, burying the pain and stood up from his seat, feeling a little wobbly.

"Alright... back to..." he didn't know how to finish his sentence, but he meant that he was going back to the room and away from any trouble he might get into.

He was spiraling out of control, free falling into oblivion. When he got back to the room, he made sure to take the chair that time to avoid Lara coming in and leaving the bed to him. He was fuming in his chair, trying to make sense of what was happening to him. He was being consumed, eaten alive by all of his feelings or lack of feelings. Whatever was inside of him. He waited on Lara to return, prepared to tear into her. Clearly she was upset with him and he was going to get to the bottom of it. There was no other choice.

Lara then let Draco do whatever and go wherever, though it was safe to assume he was going back to the room. "you alright?" and she looked to the girls arms, any place he may have marked with being too rough. The girl nodded, having not quite understood and she took a deep breath, this was going to be possibly one of the hardest conversations; trying to get through to him drunk.

She stormed in the room, slammed the room and walked up to Draco who was occupying the seat, "What the hell was that?!" She demanded, it was getting too far, fair enough he was confused and hurt or whatever it was he was feeling, but getting in a state like that and being an ass like all the other guys, that was a new low. "Don't you have any respect?"

"What were you thinking?!" Lara wasn't going to be nice now, she'd tried that it hadn't worked, it was time to treat him like the man he was and not avoid it, they needed to let off steam and this seemed to be the way to do it.

Draco looked up sullenly from his chair, equally as upset, "I just wanted some damn human connection. Is that so much to ask? Kelley has his girls, you have Dan-"

Damnit he said the bastard's name!

"I just wanted someone to bear to be with me for just a few moments. I wasn't going to do anything to her. I just wanted her near me. I feel like my insides have been ripped out and there is nothing I can do to stop the bleeding. But, no. I have to be the strong person all the time. I have to be the one coming up with all the plans because no one else will. I have to make sure we both don't get killed because you seem hellbent on causing us trouble. I can't even get some rest without your damn partner getting inside my head. And now I can't get him out. I'm crumbling faster than I can pick up the pieces and I just need something to hold me together for a few moments while I sort it out. I'm only human but everyone expects more. Kelley is the only one who seemed to suggest that I might need a break. He's the only one who has bothered to include me. Everyone else doesn't give a damn. You really don't give a damn. Your parter gave more a damn. And I don't even know the bastard. I just want the pain to stop. I want to die. I just want to crawl somewhere away from everyone else and forget everything."

Lara took a step back, was that what this was about, Dan? She let Draco get it all out, everything he had bottled up, and something in her chest tightened when he said he wanted to die, and implied she wasn't giving a damn about him.

"Dan is my partner at the Ministry and that is it! You don't have to be strong for anyone but yourself especially me. Who by the way, isn't trying to cause trouble all the time I just have a hard time coping and being on your side when I was kidnapped here, I'm being held here, no wand, no freedom, not a room to myself nor any respect I am trying, the best, I can!" She was getting very defensive. "He was trying to help you as I have done. You want someone to hold you together Draco? Well what am I? I'm someone. I'm here. You've pissed me off so badly and hurt my feelings and disrespected me but I am still here. I don't have any authority and 'you're the boss of me' so what right do I have to tell you to slow down or take a break, without going against everyone huh? Don't you dare say I don't give a damn!" Her eyes filling with tears also, her voice strained trying to fight back the tears. "I give a damn. I always have." She stepped forward again.

"Let me in," He said all she had to do was ask, so there she was, still fighting for him. To help him. He just needed to let her and she would do everything in her power to make sure he didn't ever feel that way again. No one deserves to feel that way.

Draco took a few moments to cool off, not meaning to have said everything he did. He knew she wasn't going to do it, so he was. He met her halfway and grabbed her into a firm hug against her will if need be, but allowed himself to savor the closeness as long as he could.

"I'm only your boss around Kelley, you muppet..." he muttered into her shoulder, "Don't get pissed off at me just because I'm an amazing actor. I always want your input. And seriously, if you needed your own room, you just needed to ask. Dan isn't your partner; I am. Act like it. I took the reigns from the start so that they would respect me and trust you. I want you to earn your wand back, but you keep shooting yourself in the foot. I love you Lara, and I don't want to see you hurt. I'd rather hurt. I don't care if you don't want me to care about you. I already do, and I promised I'd get you out of here, so I will. Just be honest with me. I'm really not that scary that you can't tell me what's on your mind. I'd rather that then watch you scowling at me from across the room."

Lara closed her eyes when he took her in for a hug, and wrapped her arms around him too - just as willingly. When he called her a muppet she smiled slightly and buried her head in his embrace. The situation was messed up and it just kept getting more complicated. She pulled back a little.

"You understand my hesitation though, in front of Kelley? Like you said I keep shooting myself in the foot, I don't quite know what to do or what my place is." She knew she was Draco's partner here, but having not a personal vendetta herself, she felt pressured to help out, so she felt she couldn't fully give herself to it. "I don't deal with feelings very well, I can't write about them in poems, or speak my mind it's just..not what I've ever done. and I snap easily. I'm sorry. but hey, if you can be a prick; I can be too."


	16. Goodbye

_We are getting close to the end of the story! Thanks followers for sticking through this with us! The older chapters are also being edited. I'm starting to give up on the differences between grammar and dialect discrepancies between British and American English, so much of it is just getting translated to American English. My writing partner is British (and I find it hilarious that she writes for Kelley, an American gangster who sounds very British to me, and I write for Dan, a British auror who sounds very American to me lol these are the little things that amuse me). Please review if you like what you read. That's how we know people are actually reading it lol I swear I'll get to fixing some glaring typos/grammar issues at some point. I still love reading this story and each time I run into one of those mistakes I want to pull my hair out. xD_

* * *

Lara sighed. "You're not going to remember any of this are you? When you sober up..."

"Damnit... it's always when one of us is completely plastered. I don't know if I'll remember it. Kiss me when I wake up and I might," Draco suggested, half joking.

Though kissing him was something she rather enjoyed, he said she would get a kiss when she was begging for it, she would take him at his word. She was more focused on the situation with Dan. She needed to drill it in him another time.

"Dan wasn't lying, he can help you. He can get us both out of here safe. At least think about it if not say yes right now." Lara suggested, not wanting to push her luck, but she cared for Draco, that was clear, and she didn't want to see him make any mistakes.

Draco sighed a little, "I don't know him. I... don't really know what to think. He lost me at betraying Kelley. That I won't do. Not unless Kelley changes my mind. I like Kelley though. I used to think he was a crazy lunatic, but there is good in him too. I think he might have been hurt like I was. He just needed a good influence, you know? Still violent and cruel, but he cares too... You hash things out with Dan. Maybe there is some middle ground I haven't see. Still don't want to look at him though. I'll listen to you though."

Lara nodded. Fair enough. She knew and trusted Dan, but Draco didn't, and that was okay. What she wasn't keen on was that Draco was actually starting to like Kelley.

"You know the way Kelley acts... he can't be saved," Usually she was optimistic, but not this time. "I'll speak to Dan. You don't ever have to, not unless you wish it."

He released her and stole the bed for himself greedily, "I'm sleeping this off. You made me happy after all. Thanks." He was still half out of his mind but at least some of the damage had been boarded up. He slept a little more soundly with plenty of thoughts to occupy and amuse him this time.

"It was my pleasure."

Lara made sure he was asleep on the bed before she left the room. She was emotionally exhausted but she didn't want to sleep. Not yet. Unfortunately when she went to the main room and took a seat in case Dan returned, she didn't have the same will power, and she nodded off whilst waiting. She _had_ to make Draco escape, they _had_ to think of a different way if he wouldn't betray Kelley.

* * *

The next morning, Draco woke up with an incredible headache. He forced himself out of bed and got himself a glass of water. He remembered pieces of the previous night, but it didn't all make sense to him. For whatever reason, he and Lara were okay. He shrugged. Good enough for him. Not seeing Lara in the room, he went to find Kelley instead.

"I think it's about time we get Lara her own room," he said, "Do we have any open that she might be able to use? Still no wand, of course, but I think she can handle herself."

Kelley turned around upon hearing Draco's voice. "You two haven't fallen out for good have you?"

Draco shook his head, but didn't comment further. No, they hadn't fallen out, but the sleeping arrangements would need to change. To be honest, he was still smarting over their fight and the introduction of her pesky partner into the mix. For his own pride's sake, not having that awkward situation every night to determine who would get the bed would go a long way.

"Also, I'm going to train the club workers so that they can defend themselves, but other than that, I think I still need to take it a little bit easy," Draco continued, "I know we still have the auror, but I don't have any input on what to do with him. Whatever you want is fine, I guess. It just requires too much research. Maybe Lara might be of some use, but I don't know. I made a little bit of a breakthrough with her last night, but we still have a long way to go, I think. At the end of the day, she makes me happy, so I'm keeping her whether she's worth the trouble or not. Anything you need from me?"

"No, nothing man, just take it easy yeah - you look awful." He laughed, "Teach them well."

Lara passed the room they were in and politely smiled, she needed to work harder to get her wand back. She had woken and now wanted to go get changed so she headed to Draco's room where he bag was with fresh clothes and anything else she needed.

"I'll let her talk to the Auror, the one the boys got has quite the reputation in the Ministry," Kelley added once Lara was out of earshot, "It would be interesting to see her take on him. Let me know if you need anything. Oh, I also find staying drunk, partially at least, helps the head."

Kelley gave a wink, but he wasn't joking.

"Thanks, Kelley, that sounds good. I'll let you know, but I should be staying out of your hair for the most part," Draco said with a genuine smile. How could he not like Kelley?

Draco walked into the main hall, where it was still too early for all the music. The women were chatting at the bar and the bartender was just kind of leaning back, waiting for things to pick up. Upon seeing Draco, they all looked a bit surprised.

"Hey," Draco greeted a little awkwardly, "We are expecting the Ministry to raid soon and I wanted to make sure all of you were up to speed on your self defense and how to recognize an auror when you see one."

The girls gave each other looks of disbelief, but the bartender nodded his head in agreement. He saw where Draco was going with this.

"So let's get started. Partner up," he directed.

"So you're happy now?" one of the girls asked out of the blue, catching Draco off guard.

"Erm... what?" he blurted with a blank stare.

"He doesn't remember," one of the girls giggled.

"Enough, let's get started," Draco pushed, fighting a slight flush in his cheeks.

"Look, he's blushing!" one of the girls whispered, causing all of them to erupt in laughter.

"Unless you _want_ to be killed by aurors?!" Draco shot forcefully, causing them to die down and take him seriously.

They began their work with Draco guiding them dutifully.

* * *

Once changed, there was a knock at the door. Lara answered and was shocked even before she opened the door, she saw it was Nathan through the small window pane area.

"I waited until you were done." Kelley insisted, as if he was the good guy.

"How polite." She replied, trying not to bite his head off.

"It was tempting though." He grinned, but didn't mean much by it.

"Well I know you had a look or you wouldn't have known what I was doing." She replied dryly.

"Fair enough. Oh and by the way, your boyfriend wants you moved out. Funny that," Kelley scoffed

Lara rolled her eyes. "What do you want with me anyway?"

She was confused but she also knew she had to earn her wand back.

"The Auror, I want you to visit him. Just talk. Spend some time with him and make sure he's reassured, the usual crap."

For once Lara was on board. Upon entering the interrogation room, her jaw dropped.

" **He** is the Auror you want me to talk to?!"

Kelley nodded, watching her every move. Her reaction was everything he had hoped. This particular Auror was one Lara hated. Hate being a weak word in this situation. He was anti-muggleborns and he from day one objectified her, threatened her parents, tried to get her fired and was downright rude. Kelley saw a spark in her eyes, something that completely changed her tune on things. Here, she had the power. He was going to be scared of her, not the other way around. She was working for the other side, this was exactly the breakthrough she may need to understand just how Kelley, Draco's and the others felt. She closed in, a devilish smile on her face. The fear in the auror's eyes equally matched his disgust.

Kelley summoned a few of the boys to see their take on this, witnessing her possible view on them all, it was going to be beautiful.

* * *

"What is more important, striking or defending?" One of the men asked. Both were obviously key, but he was wary about which was the thing they were to focus on more, when under attack. Not all the men had been in a battle or duel, same with the women, so Draco was going to have to deal with some silly and difficult questions.

"Do we always disarm them first or stun them, or blow them up, I don't know!" A shaky girl asked, looking almost embarrassed having to ask, but they needed rules, or at least a good set of guidelines to follow. "I just don't want to die..."

If it weren't for the fact some of the men and Kelley were experienced fighters and at least a part of them felt it was safe here, they would have ran at the first sign of trouble and especially now given the opportunity to learn to protect themselves, that was also reassuring - if they got the hang of it.

"It's more important that you block unfriendly spells. They shouldn't be targeting you, but it's possible," Draco answered confidently.

He looked to one of the the girls and nodded, "Girls, I highly doubt you'd be targeted. You can catch them by surprise. Disarm them first. If you try to stun them and they block it, you have an angry wizard still armed. It's a lot easier for them to block a stunning spell compared to disarming. And it seems a little less... um offensive? Basically, they will know that you are just afraid of them and trying to defend yourselves. A stun leaves that open to interpretation."

He demonstrated the spells to stun and disarm once again, as well as a good _Protego_ for good measure. Once they had shown some aptitude with it, he practiced with them and asked them to practice together.

"I won't let you all get hurt," he said confidently, "If they attack, I'm going to be in the front and I will do my very best to attract their attention and keep you out of harm's way. I just need to know that you have my back."

One of the bartenders nodded and the girl he had grabbed the previous night smiled a little bit in relief.

"You got it?" Draco asked.

The whole group nodded.

"Excellent. If you have questions, feel free to ask me or any of the others. They are all pretty well trained."

Draco took his leave and let them set back up for their clients that would be arriving in a few hours while he returned to the room, lying down on the bed and looking up at the ceiling, glad for a little bit of time to himself. He knew that they were interrogating the auror, but he didn't want any part of it that time.

* * *

"You did this?!" he accused.

"Maybe I played my part." Lara replied, not technically lying, besides he wanted him to think she was dangerous, and not just a pawn for Kelley. She also didnt want him to know she was missing her wand; it would make her seem weak.

"First the Ministry, now Kelley. Nobody has class." he spat at the ground beside them, showing how much he disliked their allowance of 'mudbloods'. He was shaking, and she wasnt going to reassure him.

"I'd love to say youre getting out here safe but, I won't. I can't." Lara was honest, and she took pleasure in it.

The man's lip trembled and he tried to go for her, but he was tied down in a chair. They were smart and tied him up, being an Auror he was more skilled at escape. "I knew you couldn't be trusted, bet you were one of them all along. Rats."

Lara just smiled and left the room, she was beginning to shake too, and it wasn't because she was scared. Well, she was, but not for the reason that may be expected. So many memories came back seeing him again and she was so angry and that made her nervous she had to get out of there before she hurt him or gave the others permisson to. He was a bad man.

Kelley let Lara go. He knew now that she wouldnt want him protected, but he wasnt going to do anything yet, he would wait.

The parallels between Draco and Lara were proving more and more that they were quite the couple. If they were a couple. Instead of the bathroom though, she found a quiet small room, perhaps a bigger cupboard and she started crying. She was feeling so upset from all the flashbacks she got from when he was horrible to her and she was also upset because she WANTED him hurt. She wasn't like the others. Lara was scared that she wanted to hurt him, that she was capable of feeling like she wanted to. She just wished she could leave and go home. It was all getting too much and felt so smothered.

Draco heard a sort of strange noise coming from one of the other rooms. He pulled himself up and listened carefully. It sounded like crying. His brows furrowed slightly. He wondered if one of the girls he had been training might have been anxious about the raid. He'd have to calm whoever it was down before they started freaking everyone out. Giving a polite knock on the door before opening it, he glanced inside to see who it was. He was even more alarmed to see that it was Lara who was crying. Without hesitation, he tended to her.

"Are you alright?" He asked, suddenly feeling guilty for leaving her to handle the auror. It hadn't been very considerate of him, "What happened?"

Lara's teary eyes shot up when the door opened. "Shit." She didnt mean it personally, but she didnt want him seeing her in this state. She wiped her eyes and took a deep breath, the time for crying was over. "I see why you killed Morton. It was the right time," she breathed in an empty tone.

"Sometimes I feel worthless," she added, "not being a pureblood, halfbood.. Normally it doesnt bother me it's just some people make you feel low about yourself. Its not nice." Lara was beginning to understand more of Draco's situation, and the fact she was angry at him for doing what he did made her more upset, numb. She had jumped to conclusions and it wasnt fair.

Draco only knew how to react as if it had been himself in her shoes, not knowing whether his attention would be appreciated, but at least that she would know his heart was in the right place. He reached out and held her hand, thinking it one of the more innocent things he could do while also showing he cared. Lara smiled. He kept her grounded for the moment.

"You shouldn't feel worthless," he insisted, "The people that care about that... they are all just scared. They are afraid that muggles are going to take their world away from them, and it is silly. They are mean because they don't want to show you how afraid they are. Of course there are people who aren't afraid but like to pick on other people... they really don't care, they just want someone, anyone to pick on. Who was bothering you, Lara? I'll beat their face in if you want..."

He went ahead and gave her a tight hug, knowing it would have been something he wanted in that state. It brought Lara back to that night... "No need to beat their face in, though they do deserve it. " She forced a smile, but it was weak and her eyes were a little red. "How was training?"

"Training went well, though apparently I made a fool of myself in front of some of them last night. It was a little embarrassing but the rest went smoothly."

Speaking of last night... "What do you remember of last night just out of curiosity? And I'm glad, by the way." Lara took a breath, she wanted to sort her the smudged make up back at the room, where her bag was.

"Bits and pieces. I remember drinking some shots, arguing with you, promising you a new room, and hugging you before crashing," he replied.

"Oh also a little birdy told me you were kicking me out," she said as she walked. "Don't people usually get some sort of eviction notice?" she was a lot brighter now he had cheered her uo, just very tired.

"It wasn't my intention to kick you out," he explained, "but I definitely remember that you wanted your own room."

He walked with her closely, not so much monitoring her as just wanting to be around her. He was a little disappointed that he couldn't go find whoever had insulted her though.

She was only playing around. "Mm well there's always tonight."

Lara opened the door and fixed herself up, luckily for her she didnt look half as bad as she expected from crying.

"You also told me a secret," Lara teased, doing to him what he had done to her. "Now it's an embarrassing now so I wont bother reminding you." She put her bag back where she found it and leaned back on one of the walls.

Draco watched her get her things together as she made a few casual jokes. He was just glad that she was feeling better and didn't seem to be so upset with him anymore. It was a little bit hard for him to keep up with whether he had offended her or was on her good side. He smirked slightly.

"I can't imagine what it would have been," he replied, "As I have so many that I'm quite loose with... I wonder which one... But I guess since it's embarrassing, it's better that I don't know."

"I'm hesitant to get my own room, it feels more real, like I'll never get out of here. Don't get me wrong I wanna move out; you're a sucky roommate." Lara smiled, the more she forced the jokes and happiness, the more it started to become natural.

He feigned slight offense as she called him a sucky roommate. "I thought I was being a good roommate... I hope my next roommate appreciates me more..."

Lara gave Draco a look, she couldn't help but feel a bit jealous of the thought of Draco sharing a room with someone else, but she ignored that to listen to what he had to say about Dan's offer. It felt like she was getting punched in the chest.

Draco paced the room a little bit, "So I've been thinking about the offer... your parter... gave me. I think I'm going to turn it down, and here's why. So say I get out. I'd go to another trial - um.. you know those chairs with spikes under hot coals - that's what another trial looks like to me. Okay, and say I survive that. No Azkaban even. From there... where the hell would I go? Back to being gum on the bottom of everyone's shoe. You know? The longer I've been here, the more this place has grown on me. I feel like I belong. I didn't feel that after the war. I don't think I'll ever feel it again out there... What do you think? Say the Ministry gives me a pass... I don't really think there is any hope after that... Not in Britain, and I like Britain... even outside of the country, people are bound to snub me..."

"Draco this is your chance at redemption. You will get out of it free and you'll be okay." She couldn't believe he was refusing. "You have your writing, you have me, you have all the possibilities of having a better life. If you take this chance I will personally make sure you're not under the Ministry's radar anymore, you'll have so much freedom and won't feel watched and given time and word form the Ministry you are a good man you will be treated better - you can start over. You can." She pleaded.

Draco sighed a little bit, considering what she was saying for the length of time she had given him. He hated the thought of betraying someone who hadn't given him any reason to do it.

Lara got closer to Draco. "There's something I didn't get the chance to do earlier," and she pulled him to her as she pressed her lips to his, there was something so desperate about the kiss. Desperate in a good way. She didn't want to lose him, not when she had grown to care for him.

Screw what he had said earlier. _"I will make you beg and then I will devour you"_ or something like that. Life was unpredictable. If anything happened, this might have been his only chance. His fingertips ran up her neck so lightly that he could just barely feel her skin underneath them. He kissed her back very softly at first, savoring her. His hand ended up somewhere around her ear, quickly finding a lock of her hair. His fingers weaved through her hair tenderly as his kiss deepened. His free hand pulled her even closer to him, pressing her chest against his. He could feel her heartbeat against his. Lara couldn't explain how it felt to have him run his hands through her hair or pull her closer. The kiss replaced oxygen. It was all she needed to survive - in that moment at least. Her own hands explored his hair and his jaw as she kept pulling him closer, yet it never seemed to be enough.

"I would do," he breathed between kissing her, "absolutely anything for you..."

He couldn't stop kissing her. It was like fireworks were going off in his head and he couldn't switch them off. "You trusted me to put your best interests at heart... now I'm trusting my life in your hands."

"So you'll.." If only she could stop kissing him for one moment for them to communicate and understand properly what was going on. "you'll leave?" Lara felt her body tingle as the two of them got lost in each other. "I promise.. I won't let you down." She more she thought he had finally agreed to try and start his new life, the happier she was, and it showed in the way she kissed him.

Draco gently pulled away from her to talk to her seriously. He had his heaven, and now it was time to plan his hell.

"Yes, I'm going to leave and take Dan's offer. Because of you. That is the _only_ reason I'm doing it. I just need some time to set my affairs in order. I don't want to leave without saying goodbye. And then things will happen very quickly. It'll be a lot like ripping off a bandaid. Is the auror still alive? I could use him in my plan to escape," he explained, "If he's alive, we ought to rejoin him quickly so that Kelley doesn't wonder where you've been, alright?"

Lara regained her breath as he spoke. "What, say goodbye? Are you mad? Kelley won't accept you leaving?" She knew that if he were to speak to Kelley about this, there would be no leaving. There would be a war, there would be no escape, and no second chances. "He was when I saw him but I don't knwo if he is now - why does it matter?" Draco was making no sense to her right now.

His heart was racing even faster than when he had been kissing her. He felt like a horrible, horrible person, but it was the only way out. Kelley ensured it. The poor bastard... He should have never found Draco. It would have been a lot better if he had just left Draco to die in the alleyway. Then maybe they would have had a chance to strike back at the Ministry. Sure, Dan promised his revenge, but it was probably a lie. Dan was a nobody. Draco had never heard of him. How could he promise anything? As for Lara... His earlier poem adequately described his situation with her. If she said jump, he would jump. For whatever reason, that level of devotion was possible. He would have never believed it until he experienced it.

"I want to get this over with," he muttered quietly.

The happiness and relief she once had for him was gone. "Draco maybe Kelley isn't who you think he is. Listen for a second." She was even more desperate than before. "The men who attacked you, they weren't from the Ministry, and who says they were 'normal' wizards anyway? I'm trying to say be careful and THINK; You're the missing piece in Kelley's puzzle, right? Don't you think that's a coincidence he found you right after it happened? Obviously I can't say for sure but I think it was his plan all along. To get to you. For you to come here and be in his group." She couldn't work out why Draco was so invested in Kelley as of recent, but she wasn't just going to let Kelley ruin Draco's chance at a better life.

"Could be," Draco replied, "I hope that it had been Kelley's plan all along for what I'm about to do to him. I'm not _literally_ going to say goodbye to him. I just wanted a chance to talk at least one more time to someone I consider a friend. Maybe he was in on it. Still, it was one of the better experiences that has happened to me... I owe him a lot. I lost so much after the war. My confidence, my sanity, that hunger and passion to make a spot for myself in a world that could care less. Naturally, I owe most of that to you, too, but if Kelley had not stepped in, I never would have had the chance to get to know you without the other aurors pressuring you... I feel like I owe him one more conversation."

"Draco you taught him tactics, taught his people to fight, helped him out as he helped you - you owe him nothing now. Don't feel bad about this, you've helped him. Focus on the good you've done and have left behind for him, don't think the other way." She felt awful taking him away from one of the only people he ever considered a friend, it made her feel like shit - but he promised to do what was best for her and this was her way of doing what was best for him, even if she took the burden of making him leave someone he grown to consider a friend, especially when they were very short supply for him.

"Tell me you are 100% sure you can trust him," Lara pleaded.

He couldn't tell her that. If he could trust Kelley like that, it wouldn't have come to this. His silence spoke more than words could have. Draco headed for the door, glancing back at Lara, "I'd like you to come, too. It'll be safer if you are close by."

Lara agreed and followed behind Draco willingly, she wasn't going to let him face this alone.

He headed for the interrogation room, seeming a little bit more upbeat than he had been lately. He opened the door and glanced in. "Room for one more? I've been itching for a spot of sweet vengeance..." He grinned wickedly, eyes darting to the auror tied up.


	17. He's Dead

Kelley seemed surprised to see Draco, assuming he was taking things lightly today.

"Ahh, join us!" he welcomed with his arms spread out. He then laughed and turned back to the detained auror, "Vengeance, HA! Good luck."

Kelley was in a good mood, and he smiled at the two sided mirror where he just knew Lara would be standing, watching.

"What did you have in mind Malfoy? More fire?" His eyes glowed and his mouth was salivating for the taste of blood.

Draco looked equally hungry for justice, but it was just a mask. He took no pleasure in what he was about to do. His eyes were locked on the auror.

"He probably deserves the worst," he agreed, "So, I will make this slow..."

Draco brandished his wand and approached the auror, careful to keep in mind the direction in which Kelley was standing behind him. His knuckles were white as he clenched his wand.

"You. You are a part of the problem," Draco shot, "The mess you are in right now? It was all your fault. You're a master of blaming the world's problems on easy targets. I'm going to tell you right now, I hate your guts. I hate what you've done to me. I hate what you would continue to do if you had the chance."

Draco turned around to face Kelley, his hard expression softening slightly, "Kelley, I appreciate that you gave me the chance to throw that piece of garbage out."

He gave a small smile, feeling his stomach turn, " _Avada Kedavra_ " he said effortlessly, his wand still pointed at Kelley rather than the auror.

Lara watched on, expecting to see Draco impress Kelley one more time by sorting out the problem but instead, she watched the man she had grown to deeply care for, kill one of his only friends, just because of something her partner and her pushed him to do. It all happened in slow motion, first Kelley was pleased, Draco was meant to be torturing the foul man, but he turned around, smiled at Kelley then took his life.

She watched as Kelley fell to his knees then to the ground, if she wasn't so shocked herself maybe she would have screamed like Jacob, Louis and a few others. Why didn't Draco tell her this was his plan? Given she probably wouldn't let him go through with it if he had and that's what maybe stopped him. Lara felt sick, her eyes were tearing up again. This wasn't self defense, would the Ministry accept he did them a favor and possibly stopped a war or would they use this as the final straw to send him to Azkaban or have him executed. Running through the door, still it all felt in slow motion, like it wasn't real, she grabbed Draco. Loyal supporters of Kelley weren't going to be happy at all, and they were the type to get nasty - hell, she was surprised Draco hadn't already been killed and it had only been a few, long seconds.

"We have to go, we have to get out of here. They're going to kill you!" Lara urged, "We have to go! If we get my wand, I can apparate us away, to the Ministry for protection or your apartment or my place or someone else, but Draco we need to go."

She rushed, not grilling him for what he had done, she couldn't talk about it at all, she had to get him out of there. It didn't matter about that Auror, not to her, Draco mattered and it was too risky to waste even a second. Lara couldn't begin to imagine what Draco was feeling right now, but she knew that killing Kelley like that would have a large effect on him. She needed to get to Dan, to safety. Draco didn't have time for reflection. Like he expected, Lara was right at his side the moment she needed to be. He held onto her hand, running with her towards where the wands were held. He allowed her to focus on finding her wand as he stunned wizards that ran towards them. Breathlessly, he ran with her out of the club, still considerably empty due to the time of day and through the front door, stunning the bouncers in their way. The girls and the bartenders looked gobsmacked, too shocked to do anything.

The moment they touched the pavement outside, Draco immediately apparated with her, his mind focused only on survival and the first place that came to mind. It ended up being the bookshop. Open, in the middle of the day, of course. Lara stumbled when they landed in the book shop, she didn't expect it but it wasn't a bad plan either.

"Apprehend me right now!" he shouted at Lara a little too harshly, knowing that if he didn't look defenseless, the aurors would probably take them both out.

The stunned bookshop owners and the few customers inside watched with blank faces as Draco Malfoy handed an auror his wand and held out his hand for her to restrain him. She was taken aback by Draco but then she understood, plus having her wand back felt great, she needed to put it to great use.

"Incarcerous." She spoke breathlessly, it was luck they got out alive. Lara was going to put his wand in her rucksack but she realised it wasn't there. "Accio bag". Sorted. She looked around, nobody knew what to think of the situation. "It's okay, don't worry."

"Expelliarmus!" Someone shouted from the door, a few Aurors. Lara having been missing a while they had to take precautions in case of polyjuice potion. "Hands behind your heads, get on your knees." She had to do what she was told, Draco's hands were tied but she urged him to the best he could. She knew they were going to take them to the Ministry, she looked for Dan, if he wasn't here that was okay, she knew he would be there at the Ministry and he would be on their side, everything was going to be alright.

Lara looked to Draco to see how he was coping, she didn't know how fast it would all hit it, but it was coming. Draco complied and fell to his knees with placing his hands behind his head as best as he could. Seeing Lara look over at him, he looked back at her with just a small flash of fear in his eyes. If he could have put the look into a sentence, it would have been "Don't you dare let them throw me in Azkaban!" Dan was quickly on the scene, knowing that any day Lara and Draco would be escaping. He was prepared for this and had complete confidence in Lara's ability to win Draco over back to the Ministry's side.

"Calm down everyone, it's them!" Dan shouted, running up to the two of them and grabbing Lara by the arm, "They wouldn't be here otherwise."

Dan grabbed Lara's wand that had flown out of her hand when someone disarmed her and gave it back to her, looking her over for any injuries. As he did, aurors came and grabbed Draco, roughly pulling him to his feet and dragging him with them, headed for the Ministry. It was an easy distance by foot, so Dan followed behind with Lara.

"Ok, quickly tell me what happened," he whispered, more interested that Lara was safe rather than Draco's situation. In his opinion Draco had made his choice. He deserved a bit of a rude awakening.

Lara was so relived seeing Dan and quickly thanked him for giving her her wand back. She wasn't going to let them lock Draco up, but she couldnt really control how they handled him, the Ministry wouldnt listen - not in public, but Draco wasn't going anywhere.

Looking down to the ground she began to think back, "eh well..Draco killed him; Kelley.." Lara made sure they were only meters behind Draco, so that she could be there for him. It felt strange saying it, "I didn't expect it. That won't change things will it? If anything he did the Ministry a favor - he's a hero, right? They can't lock him up you said so."

"Okay, I figured that's what happened," Dan said, nodding his head, "No... no matter what way you look at it, Kelley was holding Draco against his will with hostages. According to the law, he would be seen as trying to escape and rescue you at least. But don't get ahead of yourself... I very much doubt the Ministry will spin this as him being a hero. Think a little closer to home... You were the one that convinced him right? If I were a betting man, I'd say you will get the entirety of the credit whether you want it or not. As for Draco, I told him I'd fight for him, so I will. I didn't guarantee his freedom, but I said I would try my hardest. Without Mr. Morton, the Ministry is a little bit chaotic. Who knows how the courts will swing..."

Lara thought it all through. She needed to think like the Ministry, not like herself. They would not give him credit that she knew, they'd probably need a lot of convincing to let him away free - she was more exposed to their terrible ways now. Dan and her woukd try their best, and more.


End file.
